
;t^. y. 



/f 




HISTORICAL 



AND 



Biographical Sketches 



OF THE 



EARLY CHURCHES AND PIONEER 
PREACHERS 



OF THE 



CHEISTIAN CHUEOH IN MISSOUEL 



-^Hr 



By T;^rHALEY 




ST. LOUIS : 
CHRISTIAN PUBLISHING CO. 

1888. 









TO 

MY BRETHREN IN THE MINISTRY, 

"WITH WHOM I HAVE LIVED IN LOVING FELLOWSHIP 
FOR MOKE THAN A THIRD OF A CENTURY, 

THIS VOLUME 

IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED. 
The Author. 



Copyright, 1888, 

BY CHRISTIAN PUBLISHNG COo 



) 



CONTENTS. 



)3f 



Intboduction 7 

PART I.— HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

CHAPTER I. 

Admission into the Union— First Governor, Senators, and Members of 
Congress— Trouble with the Indians— Mormon War In Daviess County 
—Slavery Agitation— Railroads Projected 11 

CHAPTER II. 

Crvn. War' IN Missouri.- Gov. Jackson Abandons the Capital— First Battle 
at Boonville— State Convention at Jefferson City— Hardships in Mis- 
souri 30 

CHAPTER III. 

Reconstruction.— Constitutional Convention in St. Louis— Slavery De- 
clared Abolished by Gov. Fletcher— The New Constitution— The Test 
Oath— The Uni^ersal Amnesty Movement— B. Gratz Brown Elected 
Governor, and the Liberal Policy Inaugurated 38 

CHAPTER IV. 

Reorganization Secured.— Silas Woodson Elected Governor— New Con- 
stitutional Convention— New Constitution— State Enjoys Prosperity 
Under the Successive Administrations of Governors Chas. H. Hardin, 
John S. Phelps, Thos. J. Crittenden and John S. Marmaduke 37 

CHAPTER V. 

Location and Resources.— River Navigation— Fertility of Soil— Blue Grass 
—Mineral and Coal Deposits— Timber, Stone, etc 41 

CHAPTER VI. 

RiLieious Denominations.— Baptist Church— Its Missionaries, Colleges 
and Papers— Congregational Church— Christian Church— Its Early 
Churches, its Colleges and Papers — Cumberland Presbyterian— Method- 
ist Episcopal— Presbyterian— United Presbyterian— Protestant Episco- 
pal—Roman Catholic 47 

CHAPTER VII. 

Education.— An Alphabetical List of the Religious, Private, and State In- 
stitutions, with a Brief Account of Each 72 



CONTENTS. 

PART II.— CHURCHES OF CHRIST AND 
DECEASED MINISTERS. 

CHAPTER I. 

Randolph County— Antioch Church 91 

CHAPTER II. 

Allen Wright— Thomas Thompson— William Reed, Sr.— William White- 
Frederick Shoot— Marfn Sidener— John Alexander— Isaac Foster- 
Henry Thomas — Alford Wilson — Dover— Huntsville — Jacksonville — 
Moberly 101 

CHAPTER III. 

BooNE County.— '-Red Top" Church— Bear Creek Church— ColumTaia 
Church— Rocheport Church— Friendship Church— Elder Thomas Mc- 
Bride— Marcus P. Wills— Elder Thomas M. Allen 138 

CHAPTER IV. 

MoHROE CouNTT.— Paris Church— Berea Church— Santa Fee Church— Un- 
ion Church— A, H. Rice— Elder P. Donau 165 

CHAPTER V. 

Hc.vABD Co tJNTT.— Fayette Church— Mount Pleasant Church — Boonsbor- 
ough Church— Richland Church — Glasgow Church — Joel H. Haden — 
Hampton L. Boone— Elder Joel Prewitt 178 

CHAPTER VI. 

La. Fayette Cottnty.— Church at Lexington— Dover Church— Old Republi- 
can Church— Union Church — Greenton Valley— Wellington Church — 
Freedom Church — Waverly Church — Elder Hiram Bledsoe —Elder 
Thomas N. Gaines 199 

CHAPTER VII. 

Ray County.— Church at Richmond— Church at Knoxville— Church at 
South Point— Barton Y. Gross 214 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Cabroll County.— Church at Carrollton— Church at Mandaville— Church 
at De Witt — Church at Norborne — James A. Meng— William Henry 
Robinson 980 

CHAPTER IX. 

Chariton County.— Church at Brunswick— Caple-Lard Debate- Church at 
Forks of Chariton— Bro. Terrell 236 

CHAPTER X. 

Macon and Shelby Counties.- Old Bloomington Church— Church at 
Macon— Church near Shelbyville— Shelbina Church 241 



CONTENTS. 

' CHAPTER XI. 

Clark, Lewis akd Scotland Counties.— Pioneer Preacher— Letter from 
J. H. Hickman 246 

CHAPTER XII. 

Knox County— Cooper County— O. P. Davis— Church at Pisgah — Lone Elm 
— Lamine— Walnut Grove 250 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Pettis County. — Church at Georgetown— Old Union— Sedalia Church 259 

CHAPTER XIV. 

MorTGOMERY CouNTY.— Letter from T. J Marlow— Meeting at Dan\ille— 
Montgomery City — Letter from A. B. Jones— Letter from Samuel 
Cruteher, Sr 264 

CHAPTER XV. 

The Grand River Churches.— Sketch by John S. Allen— How the Gospei 
was Introduced into the Grand River Country— Grundy County- 
Meeting at Trenton— B. H. Smith's Conrersion- Franklin— Rusk De- 
bate 274 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Mercer County.— Church at Middleburg— Princeton— Goshen— Putnam 
and Sullivan Counties— Linn County— Mistaken for a Drummer— Clay 
County— Elder A. F. H. Payne — Letter from Gen. Doniphan— Sketch by 
Gov. Woodson— Miss Lucella Payne's Account of the Arrest and 
Murder of her Father 287 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Moses E. Lard.— His Parentage— Early Struggles— Debate with Caples— 
Characieristics as a Writer and Preacher— His Labors— Anecdotes Con- 
cerning Him 325 

Richard C. Morton. — Migration to Missouri — Return to Kentucky During 
War and his Final Return to Missouri where he Died 336 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Jerry P. Lancaster— His Debate with Rev. Ben. Johnson— His Declension- 
Repentance 338 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Clay County. — Church at Liberty — Church at Kearney— Smithville Church 
— Gosneyville Church— Barry Church— Autioch Church— Missouri City. 342 

CHAPTER XX. 

Clinton County.— Log Church— Hainesville Church— Plattsburg Church- 
Elder Mason Summers— Elder Samuel S. Trice— Elder Rice 34a 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XXI.- 

1*LaTTE Coitnty.— Salem Church— Hack berry Church— Old Bethel— Weston 
—Camden Point— Letter from A. L. Perrin— Platte City— Hickory Grove 
—Ridgely— Elder Oliver C. Steele— Letter from W. C. Rogers 364 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Buchanan County.— Church at DeKalb— Sugar Creek Church— Bethel 
Church— Union Church — Agency Ford Church — St. Joseph Church — 
Elder Joseph Wyatt— Zachariah Linville 380 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Elder E. V. Rice— Letter from Elder J. D. Dawson— Death of Rice— Sketch 
by H. D. Clark 404 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Elder Joseph J. Errett— His Birth and Early Life— Migrates to Pike County 
— His Abundant Labors and Peaceful Death 414 

CHAPTER XXV. 

Elder Duke Young— Elder Timothy Ford— Letter from A. R. Barton 419 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Elder Jacob Creath- His Early Life and Religious Experience— Associ- 
ation with the Baptists of Kentucky— Contact with the "Reformers"— 
Removal to Missouri in 1839— Preaching Tours— Incidents and Anec- 
dotes of his Life— Sketch by E. C. Browning 427 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

James Shannon, LL. D.— Native of Ireland — Early Training— Connection 
with Baptists -Elected to Presidency of Missouri University— His 
Adoption of the Principles of the Reformation 456 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Ralls County.— Olivet Church— Lick Creek Church— Hayes' Creek Church 
—Salt Creek Church 460 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Marion County. — Sketch by Jacob Creath— Palmyra Church — Mount 
Zion— Houston 467 

CHAPTER XXX. 

St. Louis.— First Congregation Organized in 1837, under Leadership of R, 
B. Fife— Reorganized in 1842- Joseph S. Patton First Pastor Employed 
to Devote his whole Time to the Work — Visit of Alexander Campbell — 
List of Pastors— Elder R. B. Fife Sketch by Dr. Christopher— Samuel 
S. Church— Touching Scenes at his Death-bed— Tribute by Dr. Christo- 
pher and A. Campbell 474 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XXXr. 

Elder D. T. Wright.— Early History— Union with the Baptist Church- 
Change of Religious Views -Removal to Missouri— Editor and Pub- 
lisher—Peaceful End 504 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

Elder Hiram Warriner— Northwest Missouri— Sketch of its Early Preach- 
ers by Richard Buckham 510 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Elder Jacob Coons— Elder George Flint i... 514 

CHAPTER XXXIY. 

Calloway County— Sketch of Antioch Church by Joseph G. Crane— New 
London Church, by C. B. Woodson— Church at La Plata, by O. P. Davia 
—Elder John Callerman— Letter from Gov. Bishop-Southwest Mis- 
souri, by Adam S. Wright— Absalom Rice— Notes by R. L. McHatton — 
Letter from Mrs. Lucy Davis 518 

CHAPTER XXXV. 

Schuyler County— Jackson County— Independence— Kansas City— Elder 
Francis I^. Palmer— Henry H. Haley— John W. Mountjoy— Prince L. 
Hudgins— Elder William C. Boone— Elder William Parker 531 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Annual and State Meetings of the Christian Churches in Missouri from 1837 
to 1868 563 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Annual State Meetings of the Christian Churcnes of Missouri from 1837 
to 1868 ►^-^> 563 



INTRODUCTION. 

The motive which prompted the preparation of this volume 
is among the purest and noblest which actuate men in the per- 
formance of any task. Some books are written for fame, others 
for money, and still others for the more honorable purpose of 
thro^ving light on some difficult subject which engages the 
thought of men. But this book has been written to rescue 
from oblivion, names of humble men, who, in their unselfish 
love of the truth, gave up all for Christ's sake. In a new coun- 
try where the unclaimed, fertile soil lies open to settlement, and 
where the opportunities for bettering one's worldly estate are 
much better than in older communities, the tempta,tion to be 
come absorbed in material interests to the neglect of the higher 
needs of the soul and of the community is very great. But the 
men whose names and deeds are herein recorded, were, for the 
most part, so full of enthusiasm for truth un obscured by the 
traditions of men, that they were forgetful of mere temporal 
interests in their absorbing zeal to make known the pure, sim- 
ple gospel. While others were getting rich or laying the foun- 
dations of future fortunes, these noble heroes of the cross, out 
of their poverty were making many rich in the knowledge and 
possession of spiritual life. They sowed in tears what others 
have reaped in joy. Amid scorn and persecution, such as we 
now know little of, these men, never once thinking of them- 
selves as heroes, lived the most heroic lives and won imperish- 
able victories for truth. We do well to honor their memories' 
We honor ourselves in so doing. Nay, more, we honor the 
truth, whenever we honor men, who for truth's sake, are will- 
ing to be poor, despised, obscure and, like their Master, re- 



INTRODUCTION. 

jected of men. Feeling the debt of gratitude we owe to these 
men, into whose labors we have entered, the author has sought 
in some measure to repay it, by such a record of their lives and 
labors as the meager data at command, supplemented by his 
personal recollections, made possible. Imperfect as many of 
these sketches are, there are few men yet among us, if any, 
whose long connection with the cause in Missouri and wide 
acquaintance with the early preachers and churches of the State, 
would have qualified them so well for this difficult and often 
delicate task. What follows in this volume is not offered as a 
complete history of the cause we plead in Missouri. IsTone but 
an archangel's pen could write such a history, for the only com- 
plete record is above. It is necessarily fragmentary. It is be- 
lieved, however, that herein is contained a larger amount of 
authentic information concerning the pioneer preachers and 
churches of Missouri, associated with the movement to restore 
primitive Christianity, than is to be found elsewhere, and that 
fact alone will commend the work to all who have an interest 
in the history of those struggles which have resulted in the pres- 
ent large and rapidly growing brotherhood of the State. In 
numbers, wealth, intelligence and in educational, benevolent 
and missionary activities, the brotherhood in Missouri now 
ranks among the best. For much of what we are and what we 
are now doing, we are indebted to the men whose " short and 
simple annals " are herein recorded. 

In one sense, it matters little or nothing that the names of 
God's faithful servants be forgotten by men, and the world re- 
main in ignorance of their brave, unselfish lives. Fame has 
nothing to do with their future reward and rank. The Christ 
whom they served has not forgotten their deeds and will not 
fail to mete out to them a suitable reward. To each one of 
them as to the Ephesian church, he has said: "I know thy 
works and thy labor and thy patience," and how, "for my 



INTRODUCTION. 

name's sake thou hast labored and hast not fainted." But in 
another respect it is very important that the lives of such men 
should be recorded, for the inspiration they furnish to other 
lives. It cannot be doubted that the reading of these sketches 
— some of them very thrilling and some very touching in 
their pathos — by the younger generation now coming on the 
stage of action, will serve to emphasize the value of the 
principles for which they contended, and the grandeur of 
lives consecrated to so high and holy aims. While, therefore, 
it is due to the memory of these faithful pioneers that their 
names and labors have an honorable place in the history of 
their times, it is no less due to the cause they loved and 
served so well, and to the oncoming generations of their suc- 
cessors who will seek to emulate their example. 

This book, too, is timely. A few more years and all that gen- 
eration whose lives were touched and moulded directly 
by the pioneers of this movement in the State, will have 
been gathered unto their fathers, and instead 'of their per- 
sonal testimony we should have had only tradition concern- 
ing those early days. When another half century shall have 
elapsed, and the historian of that day, now perchance, un- 
born, shall sit down to write of the struggles and achieve- 
ments of a century in behalf of primitive Christianity in Mis- 
souri, he will find in this volume many of the facts and inci- 
dents upon which he must rely for the lights and shadows of 
the early dawn of the Reformation in this State. That later 
historian will recognize in the unpretentious chronicler of 
these pages one of the stately figures whose life and labors 
have done so much to mould the religious destiny of this 
State. J. H. GARRISON. 

St. Louis, May i, 1888. 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI 



PAET I. 



CHAPTER, I. 

ADMISSIOTT INTO THE U^-IO]^ FIRST GOVERNOR, SEN- 
ATORS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, ETC. 

It has occured to the author that a brief history 
of the State of Missouri would be an acceptable 
preface to the recital of " Incidents and Eeminis- 
cences " in the lives of some of her most valuable 
citizens and useful members of society. 

To this end we here present a condensed account 
of the principal events in the history of our grand 
commonwealth. For the facts here presented we 
are greatly indebted to Campbell's " Cazeteer of 
Missouri," and to "History of Missouri," by Davis 
and Darrie. 

After a protracted and stormy debate in the 
Congress of the United States, the Territory of 
Missouri was admitted, as a State, into the Fed- 
eral Union on the 10th day of August, in the year 
of our Lord eighteen hundred and twenty-one. 

It was therefore the 24th State in the Union. 
The Territorial Governor, Alexander McNair, be- 
came the first Governor of the State, and the first 

session of the Legislature was held in the city of 

11 



12 HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 

St. Charles, convening on the 6th day of N'ovem- 
ber. 

The first directory of the city of St. Louis was 
issued in the same year, from which the following 
important statistics are taken. The town con- 
tains ten common schools, a Baptist Church 40x60 
feet, and an Episcopal Church of wood. 

There are forty-six mercantile establishments, 
three hotels, three weekly newspapers, fifty-seven 
groceries, twenty-seven attorneys, and a large va- 
riety of mechanical shops and traders. 

It is also stated that the town contained 154 
dwelling houses of brick and stone and 196 of 
wood in the northern part, and 78 of brick and 
stone and 223 of wood in the southern part, mak- 
ing 232 brick and stone, and 419 of wood ; a total 
of 651. 

The assessed value of taxable property in the 
corporation for 1821 was about $940,926.00, which 
gave about $3,763 taxes. The population was 
5,500 souls. 

St. Louis was incorporated by the Legislature of 
1822-3. The first Mayor of the city was William 
Carr. Lane, elected on the 1st Monday of April, 
1823. 

On the 1st Monday in August, 1823, Frederick 
'Bates, of St. Louis, was elected Governor of Mis- 
souri over William H. Asliby, an exceedingly 
popular Western trader. 

Hon. John Scott was at the same time elected to 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 13 

Congress. Hon. Thomas H. Benton and Hon. David 
Barton were at the time of the admission of Mis- 
souri United States Senators. 

While political affairs engrossed the attention 
of a few politicians, the great body of Missourians 
were more profitably engaged in preparing for the 
rising greatness of the State. 

Every laborer in the State was striving to add 
his mite to the general improvement and produc- 
tiveness of the State, and it is wonderful what a 
beneficial and happy effect the general action in 
one direction produced at the time. 

Grood wheat was plentiful at fifty cents per 
bushel, corn at twenty cents, potatoes at twenty, 
flour $1.50 per hundred, corn meal half that price. 
Cows were sold at from $8 to $12 per head, and 
good work oxen at from $30 to $40 per yoke. 

Governor Frederick Bates died before the expi- 
ration of his term of office, and Abraham Wil- 
liams, President of the Senate and ex-officio Lieu- 
tenant-Governor, acted as Governor until the va- 
cancy was filled by the election of John Miller. 

At this election there were three candidates : 
William C. Carr, who received 1,470 votes ; David 
Todd, who received 1,113 votes, and John Miller, 
who received 2,380, and was consequently elected. 

The population of the State was then 62,000. 

The seat of government having been fixed at 
Jefferson City, by a commission composed of John 
Thompson, of the County of Howard ; Robert G. 



14 HISTOEY OF MISSOURI. 

Watson, of the County of New Madrid ; John B, 
White, of the County of Pike ; James Logan, of 
Wayne county, and Daniel M. Boone, of the 
County of Gasconade, the fourth session of the 
General Assembly was held there instead of at the 
city of St. Charles. 

At this session the Hon. Thomas H. Benton was 
elected to the United States Senate, which position 
he held for thirty consecutive years, from the com- 
mencement of the State Government to March 4, 
1851. At this the fourth session of the Legisla- 
ture an act was passed organizing the counties of 
Jackson and Marion, also an act memorializing 
Congress for 25,000 acres of land for sominary 
purposes. At the fall election of 1826, the Hon. 
Edward Bates was elected to Congress over John 
Scott. 

During the year of 1826 the Indian tribes, the 
Kansas, the Shawanese and the lowas were re- 
moved from the State. 

In the year 1828, Governor John Miller, who had 
"been elected to fill out the unexpired time of Gov- 
ernor Bates, was re-elected. Daniel Dunklin was 
elected Lieutenant-Governor. Spencer Pettis was 
elected to succeed the Hon. Edward Bates in Con- 
gress. 

The census of Missouri in that year showed a 
population of 112,409 ; 92,801 free whites and 19,- 
124 slaves, and 484 free persons of color. 

In the month of July, 1829, a rencounter took 



HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 15 

place between a part of the Iowa and Sac Indians 
and a body of white men in the County of Ran- 
dolph, near the head waters of the Chariton river. 
The Indians had located themselves at this point 
as a hunting party and the country was also used 
by the whites for the grazing of their cattle. 
While a party of the whites were so engaged* a 
company of the Indians took possession of their 
cattle and drove them off. From twenty-five to 
fifty men of the inhabitants embodied and pursued 
the Indians, who were found encamped. 

The w.iites demanded the cattle which had been 
stolen. The Indians refused to surrender them, at 
the same time threatening that if the whites did 
not leave the country as soon as possible, they 
would kill every one of them. The whites then 
told them to stack their arms, which they refused* 
to do, and immediately commenced cocking their 
guns. The whites, then thinking it useless to rea- 
son further with them, and seeing that some of the 
Indians had their guns to their faces, discharged 
one of their pieces upon them. A conflict then 
ensued in which three of the whites were killed 
and four others wounded ; two dangerously and 
two slightly. The loss of the Indians was said to 
have been ten or twelve killed. 

The action continued for a few minutes, when 
the whites retreated with three of their wounded, 
leaving the fourth behind, who is supposed to have 
been killed. 



16 HISTORY OF MISSOUEI. 

The number of the Indians was estimated at from 
seventy-five to one hundred and fifty. The Gover- 
nor, on receiving information of this attack, called 
out one thousand militia for the protection of the 
frontier, and also requested the aid of the United 
States troops. A body of men was dispatched in 
pursuit of the Indians, but returned without hav- 
ing seen them. 

At the session of the Legislature held in 1829, 
the Hon. Alexander Buckner was elected to the U. 
S. Senate in place of Hon. David Barton. In the 
year 1830 Spencer Pettis was re-elected to Con- 
gress by a large majority over David Barton. 

During the canvass Mr. Pettis had a controversy 
with Major Biddle, of the U. S. Army, which 
resulted in a challenge from Pettis to Biddle. 
They met on a sand-bar opposite St. Louis. Bid- 
dle, as the challenged party, being near sighted, 
stipulated that the distance be ^ve feet apart. 
Both behaved with great coolness and both fell 
mortally wounded. 

The vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr. 
Pettis was filled by the election of General Wil- 
liam H. Ashley, who was elected to the 22d Con- 
gress. 

In the year 1830 the U. S. census showed the 
population of the State to be 140,455 souls ; more 
than double that of 1820. 

In August, 1832, Daniel Dunklin was elected 
Governor over Dr. John Bull, S. C. Davis and John 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 17 

Smith. L. W. Boggs was elected Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor over McLelland. 

During the summer of 1832 the Asiatic cholera 
prevailed, especially in the city of St. Louis. The 
deaths averaged for several days more than thirty, 
and for more than two weeks about twenty per 
day. It continued its ravages for about one 
month, and then disappeared. 

In September, 1836, Governor Dunklin resigned 
the office of Governor to accept the appointment of 
Surveyor General of the United States, and Lieu- 
tenant-Governor Boggs filled out his term. 

Dr. John Bull, a Methodist minister, was elected 
a member of Congress at the August election. 

The Mormons,, who had made a settlement at 
Independence, in Jackson county, became very ob- 
noxious to the other settlers in that section. In 
the month of July, 1833, a meeting of the citizens 
to the number of four or five hundred was held to 
take measures to rid themselves of these persons. 
A committee was appointed who submitted an ad- 
dress which was unanimously adopted, in which 
the conduct and views of this sect were exposed. 

It represented that the Mormons numbered some 
1,200 souls in that county, and that at each suc- 
cessive spring and autumn they poured forth in 
swarms among the people, with a gradual falling 
off in the character of the latter, until they had 
nearly reached the low condition of the black 
population. The address also stated that they 



18 HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 

had been daily told that they were to be cut off 
and their lands appropriated to the Mormons for 
an inheritance. 

The committee expressed their fears that should 
the population still increase, they would soon have 
all the offices in the county in their hands, and 
that the lives and property of other citizens would 
be insecure under the administration of men who 
are so ignorant and superstitious as to believe that 
they have been the subjects of miraculous and su- 
pernatural cures, that they hold converse with 
God and his angels, and possess and exercise the 
gift of divination and unknown tongues. 

For these and other good and sufficient reasons 
the committee reported that no Mormon should in 
future move into and settle in the county; that 
such as were therein should give a definite pledge 
of their intention within a reasonable time to re- 
move out of it, and should have time to sell their 
property and close their business without material 
sacrifice ; that the editor of the " Star'.' should be 
requested to close his office and discontinue the 
business of printing in the county, and upon fail- 
ure, prompt and efficient measures should be taken 
to close the same. 

This address, after being read and considered, 
was unanimously adopted and a committee ap- 
pointed to wait on the Mormon leaders and see 
that its requisitions were strictly complied with. 

After a short interval the meeting was again 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 19 

convened, and the committee reported that they 
had called on the editor of the " Star " and the 
Mormon bishop and that both declined giving any 
direct answer to the requisitions made on them. 
Wherefore it was resolved that the printing of&ce 
should be destroyed, and the type and press se- 
cured. This resolution was with the utmost order, 
and with the least possible disturbance, forthwith 
carried into execution. 

The citizens again convened on the 23d of July, 
and a committee was appointed to confer with the 
Mormon leaders, when an amicable agreement was 
entered into whereby the latter stipulated to re- 
move with their families out of the country on or 
before the 1st day of January, 1834, on condition 
that the owner should be paid for his printing 
office, which was agreed to. The meeting then ad- 
journed. 

At the session of the Legislature held in Novem- 
ber, 1834, Lewis A. Lynn was elected U. S. Sena- 
tor, and Ashley and Harrison were. elected to Con- 
gress. 

In the year 1836, at the regular election, held 
the first Monday in August, L. W. Boggs was 
elected Governor, and Franklin Cannon Lieuten- 
ant-Governor, over William H. Ashley and James 
Jones, candidates of the Whig party. 

During this year about one hundred young men 
went from St. Louis to Texas to aid the Texans in 
throwing off the yoke of Mexico. 



20 HISTOEY OF MISSOURI. 

In the year 1836 the Legislature appropriated 
$75,000 for the purpose of erecting a new State 
House at Jefferson City, expecting at the same 
time the house to cost twice that sum. 

The year 1837 was remarkable in the financial 
annals of Missouri. The few previous years had 
borne the impress of apparent prosperity. There 
was general confidence throughout the Union, and 
the banks issued their paper money with profu- 
sion. The fever of speculation commenced to rage 
throughout the country. Property and products 
increased in value, and there was apparently uni- 
versal prosperity. It was, however, of short dur- 
ation. One bank in the East failed, and that was 
the first cloud in the business horizon. The fail- 
ure of that one affected others. Soon a financial 
panic spread like a pestilence throughout the 
country. Public confidence became impaired. 
Something like suspicion became attached to the 
paper pui-porting to represent specie, and it com- 
menced to return to the institutions whence it 
emanated. Gold and silver began to be drawn 
from the vaults. Soon another and then an- 
other of the banks closed their doors. The panic 
became general, and the moneyed institutions 
were besieged by the holders of their bills, de- 
manding their redemption in specie. The banks 
failed rapidly, and there would have been a gen- 
eral break-down but that the leading ones in New 
York City, to save themselves from ruin, suspended 



HISTOET OF MISSOUEI. 21 

specie payment, wliicli was followed by all others 
in the country. 

In this year Missouri alone was called upon for 
a regiment of volunteers to diive the Seminoles out 
of the swamps of Florida. Kichard Gentry was 
elected Colonel, and received a fatal wound on the 
first day of December, in an engagement at 0-Kee- 
Cho-bee Lake. 

On the 17th of November the State House at Jef- 
ferson City took fire and was burned, with all the 
papers in the ofiice of the Secretary of State. The 
accumulations of seventeen years in that office were 
then suddenly swept away, leaving no traces of 
bonds or original acts signed by the Governor of 
the State during that time. 

In January, 1838, John Miller and John Jameson 
were elected to Congress over Beverly Allen and 
John Wilson, Whig candidates for the same office. 
During this year, also, the Mormon war in Daviess 
county and the northwestern part of the State oc- 
curred. 

Justice Black, of Daviess county, made affidavit 
of the lawless acts of the Mormons and called for 
military aid. One Capt. Bogardwent on duty with 
Ms company and was surprised by the Mormons. 
He had ten killed and thirty wounded and made 
prisoners. They had about four hundi'ed men 
under arms. The Governor called out the militia to 
the number of 2,500, by which the Mormons were 
arrested and some killed. Many violent acts were 



22 ' HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 

done, which Christians have never attempted to 
justify. The Mormons were driven from the State. 

In the Legislature which convened on the 19th 
day of November, 1838, three hundred and twenty- 
five acts were passed, among which was one for 
the support and government of the common 
schools, and one for the establishment and sup- 
port of a State University. 

In the year 1840 Thomas Reynolds was elected 
Governor, and M. M. Marmaduke Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor over John B. Clark and John C. Edwards, can- 
didates of the Whig party. The Eleventh General 
Assembly convened on the 16th day of November 
and was organized by the election of Sterling Price 
as Speaker, who afterwards became a conspicuous 
character in the State. 

At the election in 1842 James B. Bowlin, James 
H. Relfe, Gustavus B. Bower and John Jameson 
were elected members of Congress. 

The Legislature re-elected Lewis F. Lynne U. S. 
Senator. He did not long survive his second elec- 
tion, but died suddenly at his residence in St. Gen- 
evieve county, October 3rd, 1843, in his 48th year. 
David R. Atchison was appointed by the Governor 
to fill out his unexpired term. 

Among the acts of the Legislature in '42 and '43^ 
was one abolishing imprisonment for debt, and one 
providing for a convention to form a new Constitu- 
tion for the State. During this year Judge John 
D. Leland, of the Second Judicial district, was im- 



HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 23 

peached for want of legal qualification and other 
causes. The impeachment failed. 

On the 9th of February, 1844, Governor Thomas 
Reynolds committed suicide at Jefferson City, giv- 
ing as a reason for his rash act the violence of 
his political enemies. In the same year John C. 
Edwards was elected Governor and James Young 
Lieutenant-Governor over Charles H. Allen and 
William B. Almond, candidates of the Whig party. 

At the session of 1844-5 Hon. David R. Atohison 
was elected to fill the vacancy occasioned Iby the 
death of Lewis F. Lynn. Thos. H. Benton was re- 
elected for six years. 

The year 1844 was noted for the great rise and 
overflow of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. 
There had been three great floods before ; one in 
1785, one in 1811, and another in 1836, but this 
proved to be the greatest and most disastrous of 
them all. 

The year 1845 was made remarkable in the his- 
tory of the country by the annexation of Texas to 
the Federal Union. Is was hailed with joy by the 
Democratic party of Missouri, and they by resolu- 
tion in a political meeting held in Jefferson City 
"hailed the annexation of Texas as the re-union 
of political friends." 

At the August election sixty-six members of a 
Constitutional Convention were chosen to remodel 
the Constitution of the State or to make a new one. 
Of this convention Robert W. Wilson was Presi- 



24 HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

dent, Claiborne F. Jackson Yice President and 
R. Walker Secretary. This Constitution was sub- 
mitted to the people at the election in 1846 and 
failed of adoption by about 9,000 votes. 

War having been declared against Mexico about 
the middle of May, 1846, the Governor called for 
volunteers to join the army of the West, an expe- 
dition to Santa Fe. 

Alexander W. Doniphan was made Colonel of 
the first regiment raised. Sterling Price resigned 
his seat in Congress to command a regiment, which 
speedily followed Col. Doniphan's command. "A 
third call was made and Mc J. Daugherty was 
elected Colonel, but before the troops marched the 
President countermanded the order. 

Gen. Price and his regiment behaved most gal. 
lantly and received the gratitude of the country, 
but it is no detriment to the memory of this brave 
man to say that the modest, brave and generous 
Doniphan was the Missouri hero of the Mexican 
war. So brilliant were his exploits, so manly and 
brave his bearing, and so successful all his en- 
gagements that one rarely hears the mention of 
any other officer in the Mexican war from Missouri 

During this year the Legislature memorialized 
Congress on the subject of building a railroad from 
Hannibal to St. Joseph, and the organization of a 
Territory west of the Missouri river. 

In 1848 Austin A. King was elected Governor, 
and Thomas L. Price Lieutenant-Governor. At 



HISTORY OF MISSOUEI. 25 

this time James Bowlin, William Y. N. Bay, 
James S. Green, Willard P. Hall and Jolin S. 
Phelps were elected to Congress. 

During the year 1848 the Legislature memorial- 
ized Congress on the subject of a railroad to the 
Pacific coast, for a geological survey of the State, 
for a grant of land for the construction of the 
Hannibal and St. Joseph and the Missouri and 
Mississippi railroads. 

During the year 1849 St. Louis suffered from a 
greaft fire, which caught from the steamer White 
Cloud. Twenty-three steamboats were consumed. 
Many buildings were blown up to stop the pro- 
gress of the fire, and several valuable lives were 
lost. About four hundred buildings were destroyed, 
a number of them large wholesale establishments. 
The steamers with their cargoes and the produce 
on the landing were valued at $518,000, the burnt 
buildings at $602,000, the merchandise at $654,950, 
which, added to the furniture, provisions, clothing 
and other articles, made the whole loss about $2,- 
750,000, about two-thirds of it being covered by 
insurance. 

The Asiatic cholera also broke out during the 
summer, and thousands became its victims. A 
gloom settled down upon the city and to a greater 
or less extent was felt all over the State. Many 
did not hesitate to pronounce it a scourge sent on 
the prosperous city for its pride and wickedness. 

In the year 1851 the most remarkable political 



26 HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

event was the defeat of the Hon. Thomas H. Ben- 
ton for U. S. Senator, which office he had held un- 
interruptedly for thirty years, and since the admis- 
sion of the State into the Union. The cause of his 
defeat was evidently his position in regard to the 
admission of slavery into the territories. Henry S. 
Geyer, a lawyer of St. Louis, was elected as his suc- 
cessor. During this year the Legislature passed a 
bill providing for the education of the blind, for the 
education of the deaf and dumb, and an asylum 
for the insane. During this year work was com- 
menced on the first railroad built in the State, called 
the "St. Louis andPacific," though few at that time 
had the remotest idea that it was possible to build 
a railroad from St. Louis to the Pacific coast. Con- 
gress was also in this year memorialized for a grant 
of land to the ]N"orth Missouri Eailroad, also to the 
Lexington and Daviess County Railway. 

In the year 1852 Sterling Price was elected Gov- 
ernor of the State and Wilson Brown Lieutenant, 
over Sam Winston and William King, candidates 
of the Whig party. The following were the mem- 
bers of Congress elected : Thomas H. Benton, Al- 
fred W. Lamb, John G. Miller, Mordecai Oliver, 
John S. Phelps, Jas. G. Lindley, and Sam'l Caru- 
thers. During this year there was a called session 
of the Legislature in the interest of the railways 
projected in the State, to consider the grants for 
land made to them by Congress. 

In the year 1852 the great agitation which cul- 



HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 27 

minated in civil strife and bloodshed was inaugu- 
rated in Missouri bj the discussion of what was 
known as the '' Jackson Resolution " of 1849. The 
resolutions that completely disrupted the Demo- 
cratic party of Missouri were adopted by both 
houses of the 15th General Assembly and approv- 
ed by the Governor on the 10th of March, 1849. 
Their purport was to the effect that in no part of 
the Federal Constitution is to be found any dele- 
gation of powers to Congress to legislate on the 
subject of slavery ; that any organization of the 
territorial government excluding the citizens from 
any part of the Union from removing to such Ter- 
ritory with their slave property, would be an exer- 
cise of power by Congress inconsistent with the 
spirit of federal compact, insulting to the sover- 
eignty and dignity of the slave States, and cal- 
culated to alienate the North and the South and 
ultimately lead to disunion ; that the right to pro- 
hibit slavery in any Territory belongs exclusive- 
ly to the people thereof ; that in the event of the 
passage of any act by Congress conflicting with 
the above principles, Missouri will be found in 
hearty co-operation with the slave-holding States 
in all measures necessary for mutual protection 
against the encroachments of Northern fanaticism. 
The opposition of Col. Benton to these resolu- 
tions, and especially to the last clause, which he 
very justly construed to mean secession, lost him 
his seat in the United States Senate. Refusing to 



28 HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

obey these resolutions, which were in the nature of 
instructions, he appealed directly to the people of 
the State, "but the State was completely in the hands 
of the young and more radical Democracy, and 
Ms appeal was in vain. There was a bitter con- 
test over them in the session of 1852. Benton de 
nounced the resolutions and Jackson and Price 
denounced Benton, but the pro-slavery sentiment 
everywhere prevailed. The political excitement 
was at fever heat and parties were so divided that 
the election of a Senator was an impossibility. 
The election was postponed, after an unsuccessful 
ballot, until the next fall at a special session, but 
it was found that no better feeling prevailed and 
the election went over to the next session. Hon. 
Trusten Polk was elected in 1856 to succeed Gov. 
Price, and was very soon thereafter made U. S 
Senator. 

On the 19th day of December, 1856, the Legisla- 
ture convened. Gov. Polk resigned and was suc- 
ceeded by Hancock Jackson, Lieutenant-Governor, 
who presided as Governor until the election of 
Hobert Stewart. 

The administration of Governor Stewart was 
marked by great zeal in the interest of the rail- 
roads which had been projected, and especially the 
Hannibal and St. Joseph. Very considerable at- 
tention was also given to the border disturbances 
along the line of Missouri and Kansas. 

In the year 1860 Claiborne F. Jackson was elected 



HISTOEY OF MISSOURI. 29 

Grovernor and Thos. C. Reynolds Lieutenant. Frank 
P. Blair, Jas. S. Eollins, John B. Clark, Sr., E. H. 
Norton, John W. Reed, John S. Phelps and John 
W. Noel were elected to Congress. 

Early in the year 1861, at the suggestion of Gov- 
ernor Jackson, the Legislature passed a bill call- 
ing for a Constitutional Convention, or rather a con- 
vention which should determine whether Missouri 
should remain in the Federal Union or identify her 
fortunes with the Confederacy of the seceding 
States. 

At the time of election of delegates, the senti- 
ment of the people was overwhelmingly in favor of 
the Union, but at the same time, inconsistently 
enough, as some thought, opposed to coercion. 

The administration at Jefferson City was very^ 
decidedly in sympathy with the Confederacy, and, 
notwithstanding the Union sentiment of the people 
as expressed through their convention, prepara- 
tions for carrying the State out of the Union, under 
the plea of resisting invasion, went forward vigor- 
ously. 

On the 10th of May, 1861, the United States 
troops under Gen. Lyons took possession of Camp 
Jackson, in the city of St. Louis, which was the 
commencement of the civil strife in the State of 
Missouri. 



30 HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

CHAPTER II. 

CIVIL WAR I^ MISSOURI. 

On the 13th day of May Governor Jackson and 
the State officers abandoned the capitol and 
took up their quarters at Boonville, Governor 
Jackson having issued his proclamation calling 
for fifty thousand volunteers as a State guard, and 
made General Sterling Price Commander-in-Chief. 

The army gathered at Boonville, where the first 
battle of the war in Missouri was fought, General 
Lyon having marched from St. Louis to Jefierson 
City and from thence to Boonville. The State 
troops were routed and took refuge at Lexington, 
and thence marched to Southwest Missouri. 

The State convention assembled at Jefferson 
City on the 22 d day of July and declared the 
office of Governor and Lieutenant-Governor vacant. 
Hamilton R. Gamble, of St. Louis, was chosen 
Provisional Governor, and Willard P. Hall Lieu- 
tenant. Mordecai Oliver was made Secretary of 
State, to hold office until the IS'ovember election. 

On account of the continued hostilities through- 
out the State, the convention re -assembled on the 
11th day of October. The State election was 
postponed till 1862. It was provided that the 
Provisional Government should continue till that 
time. 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 31 

During the year 1861 Missouri was sadly de- 
vastated and its inhabitants suffered untold hard- 
ships. There were not less than sixty battles and 
skirmishes between the Federal forces and the 
Confederate troops, or those sympathizing with the 
Southern cause, during the year. Many of its cit- 
izens favored the South from honest convictions that 
they were doing their duty to the State by oppos- 
ing the measures of the Federal Government, and 
were undoubtedly conscientious in their convic- 
tions. The first year of the war was a severe one 
to the people generally, and all departments of 
industry were seriously affected by its operations. 

In 1862 Robert "Wilson, President of the Con- 
stitutional Conyention, and John B. Henderson 
were appointed by the acting government United 
States Senators to fill the seats made vacant by 
the secession of Trusten Polk and Waldo P. John- 
son, who had united their fortunes with the Con- 
federacy. The State convention met again pur- 
suant to adjournment June 3, 1862. Judge Breck- 
enridge, of St. Louis, introduced a bill for the 
gradual emancipation of the slaves. William A. 
Hall, of Randolph, moved to table the bill, which 
motion prevailed ; the vote being yeas 52, nays 19. 

At this session of the convention a bill was 
passed disfranchising all persons who had been 
engaged in rebellion since December 17, 1861. 

In 1863 the subject of the emancipation of the 
slaves was the chief subject of discussion, an or- 



32 HISTOEY or MISSOURI. 

dinance being passed by the conventioii Which pro- 
vided for gradual emancipation. 

In this year B. Gratz Brown, of St. Louis, was 
elected to the United States Senate over James O. 
Broadhead, and John B. Henderson over John S. 
Phelps. 

At the general election held in IN'cyember, 1864, 
Thomas C. Fletcher was elected Governor, and 
George Smith, of Clinton county, Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor. 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 33 

CHAPTER III. 

RECONSTRUCTION. 

On the 6th day of January, 1865, the Constitu- 
tional Convention met in St. Louis and passed the 
following ordinance : " Be it ordained hy the peo- 
ple of the State of Missouri in convention as- 
sembled, that hereafter in this State there shall be 
neither slavery nor involuntary servitude except in 
punishment of crime, whereof the party shall have 
been duly convicted ; and all persons held to serv- 
ice or labor as slaves are hereby declared to be 
free." The ordinance was passed by a vote of 51 
yeas to 4 nays ; two members absent. The whole 
number of slaves in Missouri according to the cen- 
sus of 1860 was 114,931. 

After the passage of the ordinance abolishing 
slavery a motion was made in the convention to 
pay loyal owners for their slaves. It was tabled 
by a vote of 44 yeas to 4 nays. 

Governor Fletcher thereupon issued his proc- 
lamation declaring '' that henceforth and forever 
no persons within the jurisdiction of the State 
shall be subject to any abridgement of liberty, 
except such as the law shall prescribe for the com- 
mon good, or know any master but Grod." 

The event was celebrated in St. Louis by the 
suspension of business during the day, and the 



34 HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

decoration of the houses with flags, and at night 
hy an illumination. The convention proceeded to 
make a "New Constitution." The previous consti- 
tution had been in operation nearly forty-five 
years. 

The IS'ew Constitution provided for a system of 
free schools, under which "gratuitous instruction 
was afforded to all between the ages of five and 
twenty years." 

It provided that the Legislature should have no 
power to make compensation for emancipated 
slaves. 

Another section prohibited any religious society 
from owning, if in the country, more than five acres 
of land, and if in a town or city, more than one 
acre. Also rendering void all legacies and de- 
vises to any minister or religious teacher as such 
and to any religious society. Another section es- 
tablished an oath of loyalty, which provided that 
persons who did not take the oath could not vote 
or hold any office or act as teacher in any school 
or preach or solemnize marriage or practice law. 

The total vote on the adoption of the "New 
Constitution," on the 6th of June, was 85,578, of 
which 43,670 were in favor, and 41,808 against it. 
The Constitution was declared adopted. 

The ousting ordinance produced intence excite- 
ment. Two judges of the Supreme Court, Judges 
Bay and Dryden, refused to vacate, and they were 
taken from their seats by the police, by whom 



HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 35 

they were escorted as prisoners to the office of Re- 
corder Wolff. 

The clerk of the court was also summarily 
ejected. 

The oath required of ministers, teachers, law- 
yers, etc., produced intense excitement throughout 
the State. The Missouri Baptists at their 13th an- 
nual meeting declared that the oath was in con- 
flict with the Constitution of the United States and 
interfered with the freedom of the worshiping of 
God. 

The Catholic Bishop forbade the clergy of his 
church to take the oath. 

Quite a number of ministers were arrested and 
some were imprisoned, but upon trial nearly, if not 
all indictments failed. Many of the ablest minis- 
ters of the State removed to other States. 

The Legislature of 1865-6 refused to entertain a 
bill for the abolition of the test oath as "to teach- 
ers, preachers and lawyers " by a vote of sixty-one 
to thirty. 

A test case was made in St. Louis over the vote 
of Francis P. Blair, Jr., which the judges of elec- 
tion rejected, because he had not taken the oath. 
The State Supreme Court sustained the constitu- 
tionality of the test oath, one of the judges dis- 
senting. An appeal was taken to the United States 
Supreme Court, where the test oath was decided un- 
constitutional, and the decision of the State court 
reversed. 



36 HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

At Cape Girardeau, in tlie month of June, some 
excitement was caused by tlie arrest of several sis- 
ters of charity, attached as teachers to the convent 
of a Catholic academy at that place, because they 
had not taken the oath, and Father O'Reagan, a 
Roman Catholic priest of the same county, was 
fined for solemnizing a marriage without having 
taken the oath. Governor Fletcher, on learning the 
decision of the court, remitted the fine. At Pal- 
myra fourteen ministers who had not taken the 
oath were indicted for preaching. The cases were 
laid over until the February term of 1867, and were 
abandoned in consequence of the decision of the 
Supreme Court. 

The Legislature which convened January, 1868, 
elected the Hon. Chas. D. Drake to the United 
States Senate, the nominee of the radical members 
of the body. 

Early in December of the previous year a move- 
ment was set on foot which had for its ultimate ob- 
jects universal amnesty and universal enfranchise- 
ment, together with important reforms in the reve- 
nue system and the civil service of the country. 
This movement had for its leader B. Gratz Brown, 
and was begun at a private meeting in St. Louis, 
but its influence was soon felt throughout the State. 
Brown was looked upon as the champion of the dis- 
franchised class in their endeavor to regain the 
the rights of citizenship. He found in Carl Schurz 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 37 

a powerful ally wlio rendered efficient aid to the 
liberal movement. 

At the election in K'ovember, 1868, J. AY. Mc- 
Clurg was elected Governor and E. O. Stanard Lieu- 
tenant-Governor, by a majority of 19, 327 votes, over 
John S. Phelps and Norman J. Colman. 

In Gov. McClurg's first message to the Legisla- 
ture he called attention to the propriety and expe- 
diency of removing the political disabilities under 
which those citizens were then laboring who took 
part on the side of secession during the war, re- 
ferring to the action of Congress on the subject of 
restoring " wayward States to their proper places 
to support and strengthen the general fabric sathat 
it may be desirable, with those who have a right 
to decide, that it shall not much longer be consid- 
ered in our own State as inconsistent with its safety 
to receive back as supports, individuals whose abil- 
ity* to uphold was but too well proved by their 
ability to pull down." 

In January, 1869, Carl Schurz was elected to the 
United States Senate over John S. Phelps. 

In the year 1870 B. Gratz Brown and J. J. Gra- 
villy were elected Governor and Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor, and what was called the liberal policy of the 
party was inaugurated. Enfranchisement was se- 
cured and many obnoxious acts were removed from 
the statute books of the State. 



38 HISTOEY OF MISSOURI. 

CHAPTER IV. 

EEOROANIZATIOl^ SECURED. 

In 1878 Silas Woodson, of St. Joseph, Mo., was 
inaugurated Governor with Chas. P. Jolmson as 
Lieutenant. In his first message Gov. Woodson 
said : " The people of Missouri, for the first time 
during the past decade, had elected the men of 
their choice as officers of government." He strong- 
ly appealed to the Legislature to sink the partisan 
in the patriot and to legislate for the common good. 
He pledged himself that, "while he was Governor 
the interest, honor and prosperity of the State 
should alone control his official acts." He opposed 
calling a Constitutional Convention, while admit- 
ting the Constitution in force contained many ob- 
jectionable features; he recommended the appoint- 
ment of a board of constitutional revisers, who 
should have charge of the whole matter and report 
all needed amendments. 

At this session of the Legislature Lewis Y. Bogy 
was elected to the United States Senate over John 
B. Henderson. After the election it was charged 
that money had been used to secure his election, 
but investigation did not sustain the charge. 

In the year 1874 Chas. H. Hardin, of Audrain 
county, was elected Governor, and Norman J. Col- 
man, of St. Louis, Lieutenant-Governor. 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 39 

The administration of Gov. Hardin was one of 
the most quiet and uneventful in the State. While 
he discharged the duties of his office faithfully, he 
did so v^^ith less unfavorable criticism perhaps than 
any Governor elected in the State. The reason, 
perhaps, is found in the fact that Gov. Hardin was 
not a politician, and had no aspirations beyond 
making the State a faithful executive. Under his 
administration the bill creating the office of Rail- 
road Commissioner was passed, and the Governor 
appointed the following gentlemen Commissioners 
Tinder the new law — Harding, Marmaduke and 
Pratt. 

In the year 1875 a State Constitutional Conven- 
tion assembled in May. Waldo P. Johnson was 
elected President, a new Constitution was prepared 
and submitted to the people in October following, 
and adopted by an overwhelming majority. The 
labors of the convention were widely recognized as 
a great boon to the commonwealth. The new Con- 
stitution made the term of office for Governor four 
years instead of two, and in the fall of 1876 Gov. 
John S. Phelps was elected and Brockmeyer was 
elected Lieutenant-Governor. 

Governor Phelps made an excellent executive, 
and under his administration general prosperity 
prevailed throughout tlie State. 

In the year 1880 Thos. J. Crittenden, of War- 
xensburg, was elected Governor, and Robert Camp- 
T^ell, of Pike, was elected Lieutenant-Governor. 



40 HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

Under the administration of Gov. Crittenden the 
State enjoyed unprecedented prosperity ; the credit 
of the State, which had been good, became excel- 
lent, much of the indebtedness was paid, the laws 
were generally enforced, the robber bands which 
had so long infested the State were broken np — 
their leaders either killed or captured. The finan- 
cial and moral condition of the State was better at 
the close of his administration than at any time 
since the war 

At the election held in 1884 John S. Marma- 
duke, of St. Louis, was elected Governor and A- 
P. Moorehouse, of !N'odaway, was elected Lieuten- 
ant-Governor. Governor Marmaduke was elected 
by the smallest majority which any Governor had 
received since the war, but his administration, up 
to this writing, seems to have been eminently sat- 
isfactory to the party who elected him. 

Having thus hastily sketched what may be call- 
ed the political history of Missouri, it is proposed 
in the succeeding chapters to give some idea of the 
natural resources of tlie great State, of which we 
have ever felt proud to be called a citizen. Hav- 
ing traveled extensively over the State, the author 
can speak from personal observation. He may be 
permitted, therefore, to anticipate at least so much 
as to say that in point of natural resources, Mis- 
souri has no superior in the Union if indeed she 
has an equal. 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 41 

CHAPTER Y. 

LOCATION AND RESOURCES. 

The State of Missouri lies near the middle of the 
United States ; is hounded by Iowa on the north ; 
Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee on the east; 
Arkansas on the south, and Nebraska, Kansas and 
the Indian Territory on the west. It has an area of 
67,380 square miles, and contains 43,123,200 acres. 

The Missouri river passing through the entire 
State from the northwest to the southeast divides 
the State into what is called North Missouri and 
South Missouri. It contains one hundred and four- 
teen counties, seventy of which lie on the south 
side of the Missouri river and forty-four on ihe 
north. 

The counties on the north side of the river are 
exceedingly rich and fertile, and about equally 
divided into timber and prairie land. They are 
well watered by streams which traverse them, and 
in almost every county there are living springs, 
and water can be obtained by digging, in many 
places, only a short depth. 

The counties lying along the Mississippi north 
of the Missouri, and along the Missouri its entire 
length from the Mississippi to the Iowa line, are 
remarkable for the depth and richness of the soil. 
Prior to the war they were called the hemp-grow- 



42 HISTOEY OF MISSOURI. 

ing counties of the State, and it is a well known 
fact that soil that will produce good hemp will 
grow anything which can be raised in this lati- 
tude. The interior counties of the north are grain 
and tobacco growing counties, but in the las^t few 
years many parts hare been largely devo<ed to 
grazing purposes. 

Blue-grass, that wonderful product which, is so 
nutritious as to support the cattle and sheep of 
this section without any other feed, grows as lux- 
uriantly in many of these counties as it does in 
the famous " blue-grass " counties of Kentucky. 
Timothy grass is also a great favorite with the 
farmers of this section, and it is grown in great 
quantities, and much of it is sold in the St. Louis 
market. 

On the south side of the Missouri, the coanties 
lying on the river are the richest agricultural dis- 
trict of the State, and with the exception of the 
counties below Jefferson City, it is doubtful wheth- 
er the soil is surpassed anywhere on the continent. 
The counties of Jackson, La Fayette, Saline and 
Pettis are famous throughout the West for their 
marvellous productiveness. 

The soil is of such a nature as to endure either 
drouth or excessive rains without serious injury. 
In case of heavy rains the sandy soil permits the 
water to sink rapidly, and in case of severe drouth 
the moisture from beneath finds its way easily 
to the surface. The interior counties of South Mis- 



HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 43 

souri are not so rich, but on account of the milder 
climate and abundance of pure water, thej are 
becoming famous for stock-growing. The rougher 
parts of the State are becoming fruit-growing 
counties, and the opinion has been expressed that 
the mountainous regions equal France as a grape- 
producing country. It is destined to be the great 
orchard of the State. 

In addition to the wonderful fertility of the soil 
of Missouri, both north and south of the river, the 
State is rich in deposits of minerals and coal. 

The whole of North Missouri, and especially the 
central part, is underlaid with rich veins of coal, 
much of which is now being mined, particularly 
along the lines of the leading railroads of this 
section. On the south side, not only does coal 
abound, but there are mines of lead, zinc and 
iron. It is said that "Iron Mountain" alone 
would furnish the world with all the iron it needs 
for a thousand years. 

On this subject a writer has said : " Mineral 
coal has been one of the potential elements in 
the progress of the last century. It has been the 
motive power in commerce and manufactures. 
Missouri has an abundance of this most useful 
mineral to supply all the prospective demands of 
future generations. The State has nearly all the 
best bituminous varieties. Prior to the geological 
survey, very little was known of the extent of the 
Missouri coal-beds." But the first year of that 



44 IIISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 

survey traced the southeastern boundary of the 
coal field from the mouth of the DesMoines through 
Clark, Lewis, Shelby, Monroe, Audrain, Boone, 
Cooper, Pettis, Kerry, St. Clair, Bates, Yernon, 
and Barton, into the Indian Territory, and proved 
that every county on the northwest of this line 
is underlaid with coal-measures, giving to the 
State an area of 26,000 square miles of coal strata, 
which, if but one foot in thickness, would yield 
26,000,000,000 tons of workable coal ; besides it is 
well known that a large part of this area contains 
from three to thirty feet of workable coal. The 
economical value of this coal is so great as to baf- 
fle the imagination when attempting to trace its in- 
fluence in domestiq life, in navigation and manu- 
factures. 

Its cheering rays of light and heat shed abroad 
the light of civilization, and its motive power pro- 
pels the ships, the trains and the machinery of the 
nations. Coal, crystallized, becomes diamond, and 
reflects light, but ignited it surpasses the diamond 
and becomes light itself, heat and power. 

Of the Iron Mountain the same writer says : "It 
is two hundred feet high and covers an area of five 
hundred acres and is made up almost entirely of 
this metal in its purest form. The quantity above 
the surface of the valley is estimated at 200,000,000 
tons. Fine beds of this ore are also found at the 
Buford ore-bed, at the Bogy mountain, at Russell 
mountain, at th(3 James Iron Works, and other lo» 



HISTOEY OF MISSOURI. , 45 

calities in Phelps county and in sections two, three, 
ten and eleven, of township) 35, range four, west, in 
Pulaski county. 

" Silicious specular oxide of iron exists in vast 
quantities in Pilot Knob, w^here it has been worked 
for many years. The specular and magnetic oxides 
fill large veins in the porphyry of Shepherd Moun- 
tain. It is a very pure ore, and large quantities 
have been mined and smelted. All these ores are 
well adapted to the manufacture of pig metals, and 
the most of them are suitable for blooms by the 
Catalan process, and steel by the Bessemer and 
other modes. Hematite of good quality is very 
common in large deposits in the magnesian lime- 
stone series." 

The lead mines already opened are more than 
five hundred, and the area in which lead ore is 
found is about 7,000 square miles. Copper mines 
are also found in Shannon, Madison and Franklin 
counties. "Deposits of copper have been found in 
Dent, Crawford, Benton, Greene, Lawrence, Dade, 
Taney, Dallas, Phelps, Reynolds and Wright coun- 
ties." 

Zinc ores have long been known to exist in con- 
siderable quantities in the mines of the State, and 
several extensive veins of zinc were long since 
known. Cobalt and nickel are found at Mine La- 
Motte. Manganese and silver in small quantities 
exist in nearly all the lead mines of the State. 
Platinum is reported in Madison county. Marble 



46 HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

has also been found and worked in considerable 
quantities, in southeastern counties of the State. 
Considerable quantities have been used in build- 
ings in St. Louis. 

Limestone exists in great abundance all over the 
State, and the most remarkable '' quarry " in the 
world of building stone is found at Warrensburg. 
Much of it is being used, especially in St. Louis 
and Kansas City. In the quarry it is seamless and 
is taken out in solid blocks or squares as may be 
desired. It is comparatively soft when removed 
from the quarry, but hardens on exposure to the 
atmosphere and light. 

All varieties of timbers used in the various in- 
dustries of the country, from the hardest oaks to 
the most beautiful pines, " suitable for buildings, 
machinery, carriages, cars, wagons and various 
kinds of cabinet work," are found in the State in 
abundance. 

Water courses abound throughout the State and 
in the south and southwest are found the largest 
springs in the world. " Some of these discharge 
11,000,000 cubic feet per diem, forming streams 
whose waters never freeze, nor vary in quantity by 
wet or dry seasons." 



HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 47 

CHAPTER yi. 

EELIGIOUS DE]N^OMINATIO]SrS. 

A brief history of the religious denominations 
of the State will be of interest to our readers, and 
especially as it will afford some idea of the field in 
which the pioneer preacher, whose career is to be 
sketched in this volume, accomplished such grand 
results for primitive New Testament Christianity. 
It will be seen that the denominations were already 
in the field and held possession when the first 
preachers of the Christian Church came to the State. 

It must also be remembered that the denomina- 
tions were constantly reinforced by the constant 
stream of immigration from the older States, while 
the Christian Church had no following in the States 
from which this population came, except in the 
State of Kentucky, and even there their numbers 
were quite insignificant. Whatever, therefore, the 
early preachers accomplished in building up the 
Christian Church was clear gain. 

THE BAPTIST CHUECH. 

The first Protestant church organization in the 
State of Missouri of which any record is found was 
ft Baptist church near Jackson, 'in Cape Girardeau 
county. This is indeed supposed to be the first 



48 HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

church organized by any anti-Catholic party in the 
Territory of Missouri. 

The church house was built of hewn logs, two 
logs in length, joined together at the pulpit in the 
middle of one side, and one log in width, with a 
door in the middle of the end. This old house, 
which stood for a great while, has fallen into decay 
and has been torn down ; the congregation has re- 
moved into the town of Jackson, and is to-day a 
representative Baptist church. This church was 
organized in the year 1806 by the Rev. David Green. 
The Baptists have grown from this one congrega- 
tion to over fourteen hundred in the State, and 
claim a membership of over 90,000. 

Baptist ministers commenced their labors in the 
State as early as the year 1799, when at least one 
person was baptized into the faith. David Green^ 
who organized the first Baptist church, died in 1809, 
and the place of his burial is not now known, which 
fact alone prevents the Baptists from erecting a 
suitable monument to his memory. 

The next Baptist chui'ch was organized near where 
St. Louis now stands, and was called Fee-Fee, after 
a stream of that name which flowed near by. This 
church still exists. 

In 1816 the first association of Baptists was 
formed. It was composed of seven churches, all 
then known in that part of the territory, and was 
held with the Bethel Church, the church planted 



HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 49 

near Jackson by Rev. Green. It was known as the 
Bethel Association. 

In 1817 the Baptist Missionary Society of the 
East sent out the Hev. John M. Peck and the Rev. 
James E. Welch, who were young men of liberal 
education and great physical strength. They gave 
themselves wholly to the work of the ministry. 
Mr. Peck was the author of the earliest " Gaz- 
eteer" of the Territory of Missouri, and by the 
facts which he was enabled to publish induced 
many excellent people to move into the State. 

^' Elder Welch gave himself exclusively to the 
work of a traveling preacher. He founded many 
churches and was very useful in organizing Sun- 
day schools." He lived to a great age, and en- 
joyed the pleasure of seeing the denomination 
over whose early efforts he watched with so much 
care, and to the growth of which he contributed 
freely the best years of his life, become a great 
body of earnest, cultivated and devoted workers in 
all things that contributed to the elevation of 
the human family. 

The next minister of any prominence who came 
into the State was the Rev. T. P. Greene, from Ken- 
tucky, who settled at Jackson, in Ca23e Girardeau 
county. 

In the year 1817 a second association was 
formed, which was at first called the Missouri As- 
sociation, but which is now the St. Louis Associa- 
tion. 

4 



50 HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

In the year 1833 an effort was made by Elders 
Thomas Fristoe, Ebenezer Rogers, and Fielding 
Wilhoite to organize a State association, to enable 
the Baptists throughout the State to act in concert 
in carrying out their missionary efforts. 

In August, 1834, a general meeting wa« held in 
Providence Church, Callaway county, and there 
was begun the organization which is now known 
as the General Association of Missouri Baptists. 

At this association the Rev. Jeremiah Yardeman, 
so widely known in Kentucky, and who had but 
recently removed to. Missouri, was made modera- 
tor, and the Rev. R. S. Thomas, afterwards a pro- 
fessor in the Missouri University, was made clerk. 

There was also at one time an association called 
the Baptist Convention of Southern Missouri, but 
the two bodies after awhile became one. 

To this Greneral Association, by common consent 
of the Baptist churches, is committed the State 
mission work, together with denominational educa- 
tion, foreign missions, and the extended circula- 
tion of religious literature. 

The two colleges which the General Association 
has especially under its care are William Jewell 
College, at Liberty, Missouri, and Stephens' Col- 
lege, at Columbia. The latter is a female school 
and was named for the largest contributor to its 
funds. 

In addition to these, the Baptists have had un- 
der their control the following, which in a large 



HISTOEY OF MISSOURI. 51 

measure contributed to tlieir prosperity as a de- 
nomination : La Grange College, at La Grange, 
Missouri, under the presidency of J. F. Cook, LL. 
D.; Baptist Female College, at Lexington, Missouri ; 
Hardin College, Mexico, Missouri ; Louisiana Col- 
lege, at Louisiana, Missouri, and Mount Pleasant 
College, Huntsville, Missouri. Of these the col- 
leges at Huntsville and Louisiana have been sus- 
pended. 

The leading paper and organ of the Baptist 
churches in Missouri is the " Central Baptist," 
published at St. Louis. The " Battle Flag," pub- 
lished by the Rev. D. B. Ray, is widely circulated, 
but whether endorsed by the General Association 
is not known. 

There were in Missouri, as shown by the annual 
report for 1885, sixty-one associations, one thous- 
and and four hundred churches, eight hundred and 
twenty-four ministers and eighty-nine thousand 
six hundred and fifty church members. 

CONGREGATIOITAL CHURCH. 

The Congregational Church has not been regarded 
as a Western institution, but as early as the year 
1814 the Rev. Samuel J. Mills, of Torringford, 
Connecticut, and Rev. Daniel Smith, of Benning- 
ton, Vermont, were sent out into the " Far West " 
as missionaries by the Massachusetts Congrega- 
tional Home Missionary Society. 



52 HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 

They preached in St. Louis November 6th, 1814, 
the first regular Protestant sermons ever preached 
in St. Louis. A service had now and then been 
held by an itinerating Methodist minister in the 
court house. St. Louis was a French town of about 
two thousand, and about three-fourths of these 
were Catholics. Stephen Hems te ad, a Congrega- 
tionalist from IS'ew London, Connecticut, then re- 
sided there, and he made ready for these ministers, 
and says whenever they preached they had crowded 
houses. 

In 1816 Rev. Samuel Giddings, from Connecticut, 
was sent to St. Louis. He came 1,200 miles on 
horseback, preaching along the way, and reached 
St. Louis April 6th. He immediately commenced 
missionary work. 

In l^ovember, 1817, he organized the first Prot- 
estant church in the city, consisting of ten mem- 
bers. The first elders of this church were Stephen 
Hemstead and Thomas Osborne, the only male 
members of the church. 

Eev. Mr. Giddings, who was supported by the 
missionary society of the Congregational Church, 
organized some seventeen churches in the vicinity 
of St. Louis. Some fifty other missionaries were 
sent out and sustained by the same Connecticut 
missionary society, to labor in this region of coun- 
try. But the churches founded, although made up 
very largely of Congregationalists who had immi- 



HISTORY OF ]\IISSOURI. 53 

grated to tlie West, were Presbyterian in their 
order. 

This fact seems almost unaccountable, but when 
it is remembered that the chief difference at this 
time which existed between the Congregationalists 
and Presbyterians was in the form of government, 
it can be seen how their ministers would find them- 
selves at home among Presbyterians, and since a 
majority of those emigrating to Missouri were 
Presbyterians rather than Congregational, the 
churches formed by these missionaries became 
Presbyterian churches. 

There was no Congregational church founded in 
Missouri until about the year 1850 or '52, although 
her ministers and missionaries had been at work 
since 1814. 

" In the year 1847 Dr. Francis M. Post, of Ver- 
mont, and professor in Illinois College in Jackson- 
ville, was called to the pastorate of the Third Pres- 
byterian Chuz'ch in St. Louis." Dr. Post, preferring 
to remain in his own church, which was Congrega- 
tional, declined to become the pastor. The church, 
being made up almost entirely of Congregational- 
ists, invited him, through a petition signed by a 
number of the leading members, to j)reach a ser- 
mon upon the character of the Congregational 
church policy and the expediency ol organizing in 
St. Louis a church of that order. In obedience to 
the request Dr. Post preached an exhaustive dis- 
course on January lltli, 1852. On the 14th of 



54 HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

March following a church was organized nnder the 
name of First Trinitarian Congregational Church 
of St. Louis. 

The next Congregational church was organized 
at Hannibal. The next at New Cambria, a Welch 
church, in the year 1864. 

During the year 1865 fifteen churches were organ- 
ized. E,ev. E. B. Turner was chosen superintend- 
ent of Home Missions in the State and has held the 
office for eleven years. The General Conference of 
Churches was organized in 1865, which was after- 
wards called the G-eneral Association. 

In 1866 sixteen churches were formed. Nearly all 
these, as well as those formerly organized, were in 
North Missouri, along the line of the Hannibal and 
St. Joseph railroad. 

In the year 1875 there were seventy churches in 
Missouri, forty -one ministers, over three thousand 
members, two colleges, and one newspaper pub- 
lished in St. Louis by Eobert West. Since the 
year 1875 the growth 'has been rapid and the num- 
bers greatly augmented, especially by the large 
immigration which has poured into the State from 
the East and North where the denomination is 
very strong. 

THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 

The first preachers of the Christian Church were 
Elders Thomas McBride and Samuel Rogers. These 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 55 

men, it is thought, came to Missouri about the time 
the State was admitted into the Union. They trav- 
eled from settlement to settlement, carrying a 
blanket on which to sleep, provisions and the in- 
dispensable coffee-pot, the distance between settle- 
ments being often so great that they must needs 
" camp out " by the wayside. 

Elder McBride died long since in Oregon, whither 
he had gone with his sons, one of whom, it is 
thought, was at one time Congressman from that 
State, and one of the grandsons perhaps a Judge 
in Utah some years since. 

Elder Rogers died in Kentucky at about 90 years 
of age. He was a most remarkable man. Nature 
endowed him most richly. He had a strong body, 
a vigorous intellect, a splendid voice, and was 
esteemed a natural orator. Two of his sons — ^John 
I. and William C. — became prominent ministers in 
the church of their father, and are still in active 
service. 

During the ten years preceding 1837 a large 
number of pioneer preachers came into the State 
from Kentucky. Among these were the names of 
Joel H. Haden, T. M. Allen, M. P. Wills, F. R. 
Palmer, Absalom Pice, James Love, Jacob and Jo- 
seph Coons, Jacob Creath, Esthan Ballinger, Allen 
Wright, M. Sidenor, Henry Thomas, Duke Young 
and Dr. Ferris. 

At the first all these men were evangelists and 
traveled extensively, especially over the country 



56 HISTORY OF MISSOUEI. 

lying along the Missonri river, and held many pro- 
tracted meetings. When congregations were formed 
elders were chosen out of their number and the 
care of the congregation committed to them, while 
these ministers gave themselves to the work of 
evangelizing. Of those named not one survives. 
Many of them will be noticed in the succeeding 
chapters of this volume. 

As the early churches of this body kept no rec- 
cord, as a rule, beyond the mere list of their mem- 
bership, it is quite difficult to obtain accurate in- 
formation regarding them. 

The church in Fulton was organized in the year 
1820, and was composed of seven members, six of 
whom were females. Before this, however, Anti- 
och, in Callaway; Bear Creek, in Boone, and 
E-ichland and Mount Pleasant churches, in How- 
ard county were in existence. About the same 
time churches were organized in the counties of 
Monroe, Marion and Pike. 

On the south side of the river even earlier than 
this, perhaps, churches were organized in Frank- 
lin, and LaFayette. Subsequently in Pettis county 
and Greene. Elders Rogers and McBride organ- 
ized many congregations between the years 1825 
and 1830. 

The First Church in St. Louis, now 17th and 
Olive streets, was organized by R. B. Fife in his 
own parlors in October or November, 1836. The lirst 
resident preacher was Dr. W. H. Hopson, The 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 57 

cliurcli now numbers in the State sometliing over 
sixty-five thousand members, and has about seven 
hundred and fifty congregations. 

It has three State schools : Christian Univer- 
sity, located at Canton, Missouri ; Christian Female 
College, at Columbia, and the Female Orplian 
School at Camden Point. The oldest cliurcli in 
Missouri is at Dover, in La Faye4;te county. It 
has held an annual meeting in August from its first 
organization. 

"In numbers, wealth, general culture, social po- 
sition and influence and in piety, the membership 
of the Christian Church will compare favorably 
with that of other religious organizations." 

The " Christian-Evangelist," published in St. 
Louis, is the only weekly paper of the church in 
the State. The " Christian Quarterly " is pub- 
lished by Dr. Herndon at Columbia, Missouri. 

CU3rBERLA:N'D PRESS YTERIAN CHURCH. 

The first Presbytery of this denomination was 
organized in 1820, in Pike county, Missouri, with 
four ministers, being the entire ministerial force in 
Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas. 

There are now in the State of Missouri twelve 
Presbyteries, three Synods, about two hundred and 
twenty -five preachers, and about twenty thousand 
members. The Board of Missions is located at^ 
St. Louis, as is also the paper of the denomina- 
tion. 



58 HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHUECH. 

The first Methodist minister who preached in 
Missouri was the Rev. John Clark, a Georgian by 
Ibirth, who resided on the American Bottom in Il- 
linois, below where the city of Alton now stands. 
He commenced his labors about the year 1803, and 
as the territory was then Catholic and up to 1803 
belonged to France, a Protestant could not preach 
or hold services in the territory except by consent 
of both the civil and ecclesiastical authorities. Mr. 
Clark would cross the river at night in a skiff and 
preach and return to Illinois before daylight, and 
thus evade the vigilance of the officers. The first 
congregation which he gathered was at a place 
called Cold "Water, in St. Louis county. 

At a conference held in September, 1806, in 
Greene county, Tennessee, over which Reverend 
Francis Asbury presided, eleven preachers were 
placed on trial. Among these was one John 
Travis, who was sent to the '' Missouri Circuit." 
When young Travis was appointed to the Missouri 
Circuit, the understanding was that he was to visit 
the settlements in Missouri, which then extended 
from what is now Pike county on the north to 
Pemiscott county on the south, and to a distance 
from twenty to thirty miles west of the river. 

At this time, when the territory contained a pop- 
"ulation of about 16,000, there were no Methodists 
•in the borders, unless it be the few that the Rev. 



HISTORY OF MISSOUEI. 59 

John Clark had gathered at Cold Water, in St. 
Louis county. 

At the close of the conference year young Travis 
reported an aggregate of one hundred and six 
members, and two circuits — the Missouri and the 
Meramec. At the conference held at Chillicothe, 
Ohio, in 1870, Jesse Walker was appointed to the 
Missouri, and Edmund Wilcox to the Meramec 
circuit. These men in one year reported three cir- 
cuits with two hundred members. 

The new circuit was called Cold Water, and the 
ministers to serve the next year were : For the 
Missouri, Abram Amos ; for Meramec, Joseph 
Oglesby; for Cold Water, John Crane. In 1809 
these men reported a membership of five hundred 
and eighty-five, and an additional circuit, called 
Cape Girardeau. For the next two years a de- 
crease was reported. 

In 1810 there were four traveling preachers en- 
gaged in Missouri and a membership of five hun- 
dred and twenty-eight. 

In 1820 there were fifteen traveling preachers 
and 2,079 members, occuphing a territory four or 
five times greater than that occupied ten years 
before. 

In the year 1830 there were only twenty-four 
preachers stationed in the State, and the entire 
membership, including Arkansas, was only 5,205. 
In 1836 " The Missouri Conference '^ proper was 
formed, and in 1840 there were 72 traveling and 



60 HISTOHY OF MISSOUEI. 

177 local preachers, with a total membership of 
13,922. 

The next decade witnessed the division of the 
church and the formation of the M. E. Church, 
South. At the end of this decade there were in the 
M. E. Church, South, 25,272 members, with 133 
traveling preachers and 183 local preachers. 

As the division in the church was on account of 
the slavery question, the great body of preachers 
and people united with the M E. Church, South, 
but in 1850 the M. E. Church had 43 traveling and 
86 local preachers, and a membership of 3,273. 

From 1850 to 1860 the prosperity of the M. E. 
Church, South, was. greater than it had ever been. 
Schools and colleges were established throughout 
the State, and hundreds and thousands of young 
persons were in schools under the oversight of the 
church. In 1860 the rhurch South, had 653 
preachers and 487,578 members ;~the M. E. Church 
195 preachers and 7,764 members, making a total 
of 848 preachers, and 56,521 members. 

From 1860 to the close of the war, churches were 
destroyed and scattered and ministers of the 
Southern cause banished or self-exiled, so that no 
progress was made, but from 1865 to 1875, the 
work of reconstruction went forward rapidly, so 
that at the close of 1875, tlie M. E. Church reported 
274 church houses with an estimated value of 
$666,775 ; 388 Sabbath schools, with 19,961 schol- 
ars, and 34,156 church members, to which number 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 61 

should be added about 3,000 Germans, who are 
members of the Methodist Church in Missouri, not 
included in the above estimate. The M. E. 
Church, South, reported for the same year 49,588 
members, 443 churches, 430 Sabbath schools and 
18,6^8 scholars. 

The " Central Christian Advocate," a weekly 
journal of church news, is the organ of the M. E. 
Church, edited in 1875 by Benjamin St. James 
Ery, D. D. The schools of the M. E. Church, are 
Lewis College, Glasgow ; and perhaps one at 
Macon and one near Springfield, Missouri. 

The M. E. Church, South, has Central College 
at Fayette, and also a Female College, and prob- 
ably a school at Glasgow, under the charge of 
Rev. Mr. R. Pritchett. Their organ is the " Chris- 
tian Advocate," published by Rev. D. R. Mc- 
Anally, at St. Louis. 

The writer has no means of knowing what has 
been the progress of this church since 1875. The 
statistics given only reach to that point. But 
they have doubtless made a corresponding growth, 
as they are zealous and vigilant and continually 
at work, their itinerant system enabling them to 
reach regularly every part of the State. 

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 

It is somewhat difficult to decide the question as 
between the Presbyterians and the Congregation- 



62 HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 

alists, as to the claim of establishing the first 
Protestant church in St. Louis. The Congrega- 
tionalists claim the ministers who founded the 
first Presbyterian church, sent out by the Connec- 
ticut Congregational Missionary Society. Certain 
it is, however, that the church instituted became 
the first Presbyterian Church in St. Louis. The 
first in the State was organized at Bellevue settle- 
ment, August 2, 1816, about 80 miles from St. 
Louis, and was called Concord. It had thirty 
members. The next was at Bonhomme, October 
6, 1816, and the next at Buffalo, in Pike county, 
in May, 1817. 

The first Presbytery was organized in 1817, by 
the Synod of Tennessee, with four ministers — Sal- 
mon Giddings, Timothy Flint, Thomas Donnell 
and John Matthews, and four churches — Concord, 
Bonhomme, Buffalo and St. Louis. 

The first house of worship was completed in 
1826, in St. Louis. ^ 

In 1838 the division of the Presbyterian Church, 
which resulted in the formation of what was called 
the "New School" church occurred. The division 
was not fully accomplished till the year 1840 or 
1841. It of course produced quite a shock 
throughout the churches, but they gradually re- 
covered, and the bitter feeling engendered grad- 
ually gave way, so that in the year 1860, the num- 
ber of ministers upon the rolls of both branches of 



HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 63 

the cliurcli was 109 and the number of churches 
146. 

In 1866 another division occurred, growing 
out of the war, and resulted in the formation of 
the Independent Synod of Missouri, which subse- 
quently became a part of the Greneral Assembly 
South. 

The party which continued in connection with 
the General Assembly North, as it was called, 
united with the ISTew School in the year 1870. 
Since then the Synod has steadily grown till it 
now numbers over 10,000 members in 210 
churches, with 137 ministers. 

This Synod is now composed of six Presby- 
teries : Ozark, Gsage, Palmyra, Platte and St. 
Louis. 

It has under its care but one institution of 
learning at the present time (1875). Lindenwood 
Female College, at St. Charles, Missouri. Since 
that time it has accepted Park College and is joint 
owner of the Ladies' College, at Independence, 
Missouri. 

The '' St. Louis Evangelist" is the organ of the 
Synod. 

In 1874 the Independent Synod united its des- 
tiny with that part of the church known as the 
Southern Presbyterian Church. It has about 
80 ministers, 140 churches, and 9,000 communi- 
cants. It has schools under its auspices at Lex- 
ington, Independence, Boonville and Fulton. 



64 HISTOEY 0¥ MISSOUEI. 

At Fulton is the Westminster for the education 
of young gentlemen, and the Synodical Female 
College. The " St. Louis Presbyterian " is the 
organ of this branch of the church. 

Tlius it will be seen that although this church 
began its work in 1814 and 16, it now nurabers in 
both of its branches about 20,000 communicants. 
Its slow progress is doubtless to be accounted for 
by the fact that it has suffered two exciting divi- 
sions, and nothing is more detrimental to church 
growth than strife and division. 

UNITED PRESBYTERIA]^ CHURCH. 

In 1850 a union was brought about between the 
principal parts of the Associate and Associate Re- 
formed churches of the ^N'orthern States, the new 
body taking the name of the "United Presbyterian 
Church of North America." In the year 1866, 
Missouri being open and free emigration began 
to flow in, particularly to the western part of the 
State. Among these were many United Presby- 
terians, and in two or three years little bands of 
this church were scattered all over the State. 

The present Synod was organized at Warens- 
burg , October 31 , 1867 , including all the State of 
Missouri west of Jefferson City. This body now 
(1875) contains ministers and about five hun- 
dred members. 



HISTOEY OF MISSOURI. 65 

UlS'ITARIAN- CnURCH. 

This church is small in the State. It has at least 
two churches in St. Louis. Over one of these that 
distinguished scholar and philanthropist, "W. G. 
Elliot, presided as pastor for thirty-seven years. 
The second is presided over by Reverend C. Lam- 
ed. There is also a church of this order in Kansas 
City, to which the Eev. Robert Laird Collier 
ministers. 

PROTESTATsTT EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 

The first services of this church were held by 
the Rev. John Ward in the city of St. Louis, on 
the 24th day of October, 1819. 

Christ Church, to which the venerable Dr. Schuy- 
ler now preaches, was the first church organized, 
and early in the year 1825 the vestry began prepa- 
rations for the erection of a church building. It 
was completed in 1830, and stood on a lot on Third 
and Chestnut, where the Merchants Exchange now 
stands. 

The first Bishop, Kemper, came to St. Louis in 
1836, and acted as Rector of Christ Church for 
some years. In this year the churches at Boon- 
ville , Fayette , St. Charles and Hannibal were 
founded. It has made slow progress and has never 
been a favorite church with the masses. 

It was not until 1844 that a Bishop was chosen 



66 HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 

for Missouri. In that year tlie Rev. Cicero Hawks 
was made Bishop and Rector of Christ Church. He 
continued Rector for ten years, and after that gave 
himself as Bishop of the whole diocese. He held 
the office for twenty-three years and died in 1868. 

In 1868, in the month of September, Rev. C. F. 
Robertson of New York, was elected Bishop, and 
was consecrated in the city of JS'ew York, Bishop 
Smith of Kentucky officiating. Bishop Robert- 
son* still presides, and churches have been estab- 
lished in the principal towns and villages of the 
State. 

"We have no means of knowing the numerical 
strength of the church at this writing. "The 
Church I^ews" is the church organ so far as it has 
one. 

There are two distinct parties in the Episcopal 
Church, both among the clergy and the laity, the 
"High Church" and "Low Church." It is difficult 
for one on the outside to see how it is possible for 
these parties to live in one communion and under 
one bishop and be at peace. There is only one 
solution, and that is that they have learned to 
obey the apostolic injunction, "Receive ye one 
another, without respect to difference of opinion." 

It is only in cities and towns that Episcopal 
churches have been organized. It is not known 
to the writer that a single church of this order has 
been established in the rural districts. 



*Smce dead. 



HISTORY OF MISSOUEI. 67 

THE EOMAIS" CATHOLIC CHURCH. 

The territory of Missouri, as has already been 
stated, was settled at the first by the French 
Catholics, and religious services were held from 
the very commencement of the settlements. It is 
supposed by some Catholics that there were 
priests on Missouri soil as early as 1750. The 
earliest written records of the Catholic Church in 
Missouri are found at St. Genevieve, the oldest 
town in the State, having been founded somewhere 
between 1735 and 1750. 

Father Watson officiated at St. Genevieve as 
early as 1760, as shown by the records. 

St. Louis, the next oldest church in the State, 
was founded February 12th, 1764. 

A Jesuit priest by the name of Meurin ofiiciated 
in St. Louis in the year 1766 ; after him a secular 
priest named Gibault. 

The first church built for the worship of God 
west of Mississippi was an unhewn log house 
built on what is now the Cathedral Block. In 
1776, Father Bernard, a Capuchin monk, was sent 
to take permanent charge of the village. 

The church organized by this priest was prob- 
ably the first organized in the State of Missouri, 
and it has had a steady growth to this date. 

The first bishop of the church. Right Reverend 
"William Louis Dubourg, came to St. Louis from 
New Orleans in 1818. On his coming the church 



68 HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 

was "quickened into life and wonderful growth." 

At that time there were in what is now Missouri 
only four chapels, one at St. Genevieve, one at St. 
Louis, one at Florissant and one at New Madrid ; 
and for the whole of upper Louisiana there were 
but seven priests. The first brick church was 
built by the Bishop in St. Louis shortly after his 
arrival. 

The first school or seminary was founded at the 
Barrens, in Perry county. " This was the first 
college established west of the Mississippi." It 
has been transferred to St. Genevieve. 

About the year 1834 another college was found- 
ed by this bishop, which was transferred to the 
Jesuits and became what is now known as the St. 
Louis University. This zealous bishop, who did so 
much for the Catholic Church in Missouri, was in 
the year 1826 transferred by the Pope from New 
Orleans to the See of Montauban, in France, and 
thence in 1883 to the archbishopric of Besancon, 
where he died, aged about 65 years. 

The next bishop of Missouri was Rosatte, sent 
to St. Louis in 1826. Under his administration 
the Cathedral in St. Louis was erected, then re- 
garded as the finest church edifice in the State. 

Bishop Henrick was appointed first Coadjutor 
to Bishop Eosatte by Gregory XVI. in 1841, and 
succeeded to the See of St. Louis. He became 
archbishop in 1847. 

The next bishop appointed for the diocese of 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 69 

Missouri was the eloquent orator, Dr. Ryan, ap- 
pointed in 1872. John J. Hogan was made Bishop 
of St. Joseph in 1868. 

The church is also large in Kansas City, where 
Bishop Hogan resides. The number of Roman 
Catholics in Missouri is very great, though at this 
writing there is no means accessible of ascertain- 
ing the exact number. 



70 HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 

CHAPTER YII. 

EDUCATION. 

The people of Missouri have from the beginning 
been ardent friends and supporters of public edu- 
cation. Believing that the prosperity of our re- 
publican Institution, as well as the perpetuity and 
success of Christianity and the prevalence of good 
morals, depend upon the intelligence and culture 
of the masses, they have always favored the most 
liberal provisions for the maintenance and support 
of the public schools. 

The first Constitution for the State ordained 
that "one school or more shall be established in 
each township, as soon as practicable and neces- 
sary, where the poor shall be taught gratis." 

The public school system, without being re- 
stricted to the poor, was adopted in the year 1839, 
at the suggestion of Governor Boggs. As early as 
that day the system " embraced a superintendent 
of common schools for the State, a board of com- . 
missioners for each county, and a board of trus- 
tees for each local district." 

The policy of Missouri in the disposition of its 
revenues for educational purpose is concentration 
for higher education, diffusion for the intermediate 
and lower. 

Free public schools for the education of children 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 71 

of African descent form a part of the school sys- 
tem of the State, and are provided for in the or 
^anic law. 

A normal school for the education of colored 
teachers, Lincoln Institute, is located at Jefferson 
City, and receives an annual appropriation from 
the General Assembly. 

The provisions for the maintenance and support 
of the public schools are parts of the Constitution 
of the State, and cannot be changed except by an 
amendment. 

There is a public school fund, set apart by law, 
and in addition, one-fourth of the entire revenue, 
exclusive of interest and sinking fund of the State, 
is applied to the support of the public schools. 
These funds are distributed by the State Superin- 
tendent to the several counties according to the 
number of children between the ages of six and 
twenty years. Public schools in the larger cities 
of the State have been granted special charters. 

In the cities of St. Louis, St. Joseph and Kansas 
City, the public schools, together with the high 
schools, afford such admirable facilities for educa- 
tion that it has been found difficult, if indeed it is 
not impossible, for any private school, however 
good, to compete with them. It is safe to say that 
nine-tenths of both sexes in the cities mentioned 
received their entire education in the public 
schools. Whatever objections lie against them, 
and they are not without objections, the public 



72 HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 

school has come to stay. It is therefore the part 
of wisdom that every good citizen should address 
himself to the task of their improvement. 

Many of the denominational schools and col- 
leges without endowment have been compelled to 
surrender in favor of the common school, because 
the impression prevails that better teaching is 
done in the latter than in the former, and tuition 
is free. 

There are in the State however, quite a large 
number of private schools, more or less endowed, 
and many of them are doing grand work for the 
demominations to which they belong. 

Of the denominational and State institutions 
the following is an alphabetical list as they ex- 
isted at the time of our latest information con- 
cerning them. It is probable that some have fal- 
len out of the way, and others may have come 
into existence. 

Alexander College is located at Alexandria, 
Clark county, near the Iowa line, in the northeast- 
ern corner of the State. It was organized as a 
corporation, and Rev, S. J. Musgrove was made 
president during his life. It owns the building in 
which the school is conducted. It has a charter 
empowering it to confer honorary degrees ; it has 
two distinct courses of study, collegiate and scien- 
tific. It is also a music school. It is not a secta- 
rian school and belongs to no denomination, but 
the '' Christian religion, a pure morality, and an 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 73 

earnest philanthropy, are taught and enforced on 
principles common to all chnrches." 

Baptist College is located in the city of 
Louisiana, Pike county, Missouri. It has a prop- 
erty worth about $12,000. It is for both male and 
female. It has a preparatory department. It has 
also a collegiate department, and a high standard, 
required for examination graduation. 

Central College^ at Fayette, is the college of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. It was 
established in the year 1835, but before it got 
fairly under way the building was destroyed by 
fire. Soon after the college was rebuilt, but a 
debt was allowed to accumulate against it, and it 
was sold. W. D. Sweeney, of Glasgow, was the 
purchaser, and it was by him presented to the M. 
E. Church, South. In the same year the school 
was organized under the name of the Howard High 
School, with Rev. W. T. Luckey as president. In 
the year 1854 the building was again burned 
down. In April, 1853, it was made the college of 
the M. E. Church, South, and the erection and en- 
dowment of a college of a high order was under- 
taken. Kev. J. Boyle, D. D., of St. Louis, was the 
first president of the New Board of Trustees, and 
Adam Hendrix was made treasurer. A charter 
was obtained at the session of the Legislature in 
1855. The presidents of the college have served 
the institution in the following order : Rev. JN'a- 
than Scarritt, Rev. A. W. Morrison, Rev. W. H. 



74 HISTOEY OF MISSOURI. 

Anderson, D. D., prior to the war. It was sus- 
pended during the war, but among the first things 
of importance undertaken by the church after the 
war, it was determined to re- open the college and 
endow it with $100,000. After the re-opening Rev. 
W. A. Smith, D. D., of St. Louis, was its first pres- 
ident, and died in its service. After the death of 
Dr. Smith the Rev. William M. Rush, as agent, 
completed the $100,000 endowment, and provis- 
ional organization was effected with Rev. J. C. 
Wills, D. D., as president. Rev. E. R. Hendrix, 
D. D., son of the first treasurer, who was reared in 
the vicinity, was president of the college until 
he was made a bishop of the church. Under the 
efficient management and control of the faculty 
the college is steadily growing in influence and 
power as a factor in our Christian civilization in 
this great State. 

Tlie Hoioard High ScJiool^ under the same man- 
agement, for the education of ladies, was also 
located at Fayette. 

Central Wesleyan College. This is a school 
which was established by the German Methodists, 
at Warrenton, as the Western Orphan Asylum 
and Educational Institute. It has since had its 
name changed to Central Wesleyan College and 
Orphan Asylum. The new bail ding cost $25,000, 
of which the citizens of Warren county contrib- 
uted $10,000. Tlie building is said to be a very 
handsome one and would compare favorably with 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 75 

many of the eastern college buildings. The col- 
lege also owns a large body of land in the vicin- 
ity, has on it a good farm and a large orchard. 
The farm affords the students opportunity to work 
and pay their expenses. They also have a consid- 
erable endowment fund. 

College of the Christian Brothers^ in St. Louis, 
located at present on a commanding eminence in 
the western limits of the city, is a Catholic insti- 
tution, and managed in the interests of the Cath- 
olic Church. 

Drury College is located at Springfield, Mis- 
souri, and is under the auspices and control of the 
Congregational churches of Missouri. It is named 
for Samuel F. Drury, of Michigan, who has given 
to the college large gifts for its establishment. It 
is the particular aim of the college to fit teachers 
for successful work in the common schools. It 
therefore admits ladies to its halls and gives them 
the same advantages as are extended to young 
men. 

Grand River College, at Edinburg, in Grundy 
county, was for a long time a private enterprise. 
Some years ago, after various fortunes, it was ten- 
dered to the Baptist Church, which occupied it, 
but what success has attended the effort is not 
now known. 

Hannibal College, at Hannibal, in Marion 
county, declared when it was founded that they 
" proposed to found an institution which shall offer 



76 HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

facilities for acquiring a complete collegiate edu- 
cation on the tlie principle that the influence and 
respectability of a people depended not so much 
upon their material wealth as upon their intelli- 
gence ; believing, at the same time, that a thor- 
ough education would have a healthful influence 
upon the manners and morals of a people." The 
college property consisted of the building and 
thirty -five acres of land, donated by R. F. Lakenan, 
who was one of the original founders of the col- 
lege and stood by it as a fast friend in all its 
vicissitudes and changes. 

Hardin College is a female institution, and is 
located at Mexico and was named for Ex-Gov. 
Charles H. Hardin, who has been its largest pa- 
tron. Indeed, it might be said without exaggera- 
tion that he is its founder and chief patron. His 
care of the college and his benefactions have been 
almost constant. He gave to it at the beginning 
$37,000 and has given to it largely since. The 
college is under the control of a local board, and 
while it has been regarded as unsectarian, and has 
drawn its patronage from the whole community 
and the surrounding country without regard to 
party lines, it has all the while been under Baptist 
influence, of which church the Ex-Governor and 
his Avife are consistent and zealous members. It 
has always been regarded as one of the very best 
institutions of the kind in the State. 

La Grange College^ located at La Grange, in 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 77 

Lewis county, is under the control of tlie Baptists 
of the State. It was chartered March 12th, 1859. 
It was suspended during the war. After tlie war 
tlie building was repaired and the Rev. J. F. Cook, 
D. D., was called to the presidency. Under his 
administration it has been remarkably successful. 
Its graduates are successful teachers, lawyers and 
ministers, now scattered all over the western coun- 
try. 

Lincoln Institute is located at Jefferson City, is 
designed for the education of colored men and 
women for teachers in the public schools, is under 
a board of trustees appointed by the Governor, 
and receives an annual appropriation from the. 
Legislature. The initiatory steps for the founding 
of Lincoln Institute were taken immediately after 
the close of the war, by the officers and enlisted 
men of the 62nd Regiment of United States colored 
Infantry, who gave a liberal amount as a nucleus 
for other subscriptions by benevolent citizens of 
the country. After the collection of several thous- 
and dollars additional from churches and individ- 
uals, mostly in the East, and an appropriation 
from the State, the institution has been placed 
upon a permanent foundation. Tuition is virtual- 
ly free. The Institute building is a substantial 
structure overlooking the city and the Missouri 
river. The school is in a flourishing condition. 

Lindenwood Female College^ at St. Charles, is 
under the control of the Presbyterians of Missouri, 



78 HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 

but especially of St. Louis. The college is beauti- 
fully located. Major George C. Sibley, with his 
wife and Mr. and Mrs. Samuel S. Watson, gave the 
site and $5,000, on condition that the Presbytery 
of St. Louis should give $20,000 for the erection of 
a building, and though the conditions were not 
fully complied with, these generous friends, aided 
by citizens of St. Charles, accomj^lished their de- 
signs and established the school, which, under the 
presidency of Rev. Dr. J. H. Mxon, has become 
one of the best schools of the kind in the State. 
Its property is valuable, it is absolutely free from 
debt, and a beginning has been made of a per- 
manent endowment. 

Marionmlle Collegiate Institute^ in Lawrence 
county, was organized by the teachers of the coun- 
ty in the hope of securing the aid of the State in 
making it the Normal School of the Southeast. 
Failing in this, the lands and effects were turned 
over to the Methodist Episcopal Church, in 1871, 
since which time there has been erected a substan- 
tial building of brick, in a beautiful grove, fur- 
nishing accommodation for from two hundred to 
three hundred students, and a school of academic 
grade is now being conducted in it. It is control- 
ed by the St. Louis Conference of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. 

Missouri Scliool of Mines and Metallurgy was 
the outgrowth of the distribution of the public 
lands donated by Congress to Missouri for indus- 



HISTOEY OF MISSOUEI. 79 

trial education. The act of February, 1870, gave 
three -fourths of said land for the Agricultural Col- 
lege (subsequently located at Columbia) and one- 
fourth to the School of Mines and Metallurgy. 
The location was to be given to the community 
making the highest and best bid for it. The loca- 
tion was to be made by the Board of Curators of 
the University, who, after considering all the bids, 
gave it to Phelps county, and located the school at 
Rolla. The entire donation of Phelps county in 
bonds, lands, &c., was estimated at $130,545. The 
first president was Professor Peat, and Charles P. 
Williams was made Director of the School of 
Mines. The school is a branch of Missouri Uni- 
versity, and is reported annually in the catalogue 
of said University. The school possesses excel- 
lent mineralogical and geological collections, very 
complete apparatus and instruments for class-room 
demonstrations and field work, and a good library 
of technical works and journals. The laboratories 
are very complete,^and are equipped as thoroughly 
as any in the West. The personal property of the 
school is valued at upwards of $25,000. 

Nortli Missouri State Normal School is located 
at Kirksville, Missouri. It was started as a 
private enterprise. It was organized in 1867, and 
had been in successful operation for three years 
and a half when the State adopted it, without 
a change of faculty or plan of work. It was 
opened as a State Normal School, January 2, 1872. 



80 HISTOEY OF MISSOURI. 

Over four hundred teachers go out annually from 
this school to teach in the common schools of the 
West. To the State Teachers' Association, which 
met for the first time in St. Louis in 1856 are we 
indebted for the J^ormal Schools of the State. At 
the first meeting the honored and lamented educa- 
tor, Horace Mann, was present and it is thought 
did much towards shaping its deliberations. 

St. PaiiVs College^ at Palmyra, is an Episcopal 
school, and is one of the oldest schools in the 
State. It went into operation under the name of 
" The Governor Clark Mission," because Grovernor 
Clark had made a donation of land to the Epis- 
copal Church for the establishment of a school. 
When it was chartered, however, in the year 1852, 
its name was changed to St. Paul's College. W. 
B. Corbyn was the first president. It was sus 
pended during the war, but resumed afterwards 
and is still in operation. 

Southeast Missouri Normal School is located at 
Cape Girardeau. It was established by an act of 
the Legislature passed March 22, 1873. A number 
of points competed, but the Board of Regents lo- 
cated it at the above named place. L. H. Cheney 
was its first president, when it was opened with 
thirty -five students. It was taught at first in the 
public school building. The building which it 
now occupies was completed in 1875. The faculty 
of the school consisted of four gentlemen and three 



HISTOEY OF MISS0T7EI. 81 

ladies, and has been enlarged as the necessities re- 
quired. 

Btate Normal^ for the second district, is located 
at Warrensburg. The county and city donated to 
the State a building worth $200,000 and twenty 
acres of land. George P. Beard, A. M., was the first 
president and taught the first session in the public 
school building. ''Immediately steps were taken 
towards erecting a suitable building on the Nor- 
mal School grounds, and the work progressed so 
rapidly that the corner-stone was laid on the 6th 
of August, in the same year, and in June, 1872, 
the first story being ready for occupancy the 
school was removed to the new building. The edi- 
fice is of the Lombard Venetian style, eighty feet 
in width by one hundred and sixty in length. It 
contains thirty-six rooms, not including the Man- 
sard story, and when completed will afford accom- 
modations for eight hundred pupils." 

St. Louis University is located on Washing- 
ton avenue, and is one of the oldest schools in the 
State, having been founded in the year 1829. It 
is a Catholic school, and of course managed in the 
interest of the Roman Catholic Church. 

Stephens College is a Baptist female school, lo- 
cated at Columbia, and named for Captain J. L. 
Stephens, the largest donor to its funds. It has 
been in successful operation for a great many- 
years, and is now under the presidency of Rev. T. 

6 



82 HISTOEY OF MISSOURI. 

W. Barrett, a popular minister of the Baptist 
Church. 

Synodical Female College is located at Fulton, 
and is, as its name would indicate, under the care 
of the Presbyterian Synod of the State of Mis- 
souri. It was at the first placed under the presi- 
dency of Rev. W. H. Hill, D. D., but for some 
years has been under the care of Eev. Mr. Charles, 
president. 

Thayer College is located at the village of 
Kidder, in Caldwell county, and is under the care 
of the Congregational Church. It has an elegant 
building and sufficient property to make it a most 
successful school, but it did not have smooth sail- 
ing for the first few years of its life, and is proba- 
bly not in successful operation now. 

The University of Missouri^ located at Colum- 
bia, had its origin in an act of Congress donating 
to the State of Missouri two townships of land in 
each county for the support of a Seminary of 
learning. These lands were sold at a price sorrow 
that only $75,000 were realized from the sale. The 
money was invested in the stock of the old bank 
of the State of Missouri. When it had grown to 
be $100,000, the question of locating the Univer- 
sity began to be agitated. These lands were or- 
dered sold by the legislature in the year 1832. 
The popular idea at first seemed to be to scatter 
the various colleges of the University over the 
State, all to be under the management of one 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 83" 

board of curators. This plan, however, was finally 
abandoned, and Major James S. Rollins, then a 
member of the Legislature from Boone county, in- 
troduced a bill to locate the University. " The 
act provided that the site should contain at least 
fifty-five acres of land, in a compact form, within 
two miles of the county seat of the county of 
Cole, Cooper, Howard, Boone, Callaway or Sa- 
line." The Commissioners, all of whom resided 
outside of the counties named, canvassed the 
ground, received the bids, and gave the location to 
Columbia, Boone county having offered in land 
and money $117,500. The University was located 
on the 24th day of June, 1839. It is stated as a 
fact that a man who could neither read nor write 
subscribed and paid $3,000 to the State University 
of Missouri. The corner-stone of the main Uni- 
versity building was laid on the 4th day of July, 
1840. The principal address of the occasion was 
made by James L. Minor, of Jefferson City, Mis- 
souri. In 1840 Dr. John H. Lathrop, then a pro- 
fessor in Hamilton College, ISTew York, was elected 
president, but did not take his seat till 1841. Dr. 
Lathrop resigned the presidency in 1848, and was 
succeeded by Rev. James Shannon, LL. D. Presi- 
dent Shannon served six years and resigned. He 
was succeeded by Professor W. W. Hudson, who 
had been for many years professor of mathematics 
in the University. On the death of President 
Hudson, in 1859, B. B. Minor, of Virginia, was 



84 HISTOEY OF MISSOURI. 

made president. During the first year of the war 
the institution suspended, and the University was 
occupied by U. S. troops. In the year 1865, Dr. 
Lathrop was again elected president, having re- 
turned to the University in 1860. After the death 
of Dr. Lathrop, which occurred in the summer of 
1866, Dr. Daniel Read was elected president. Up 
to the close of Dr. Lathrop' s administration the 
University had been conducted simply as a college 
of arts, with its preparatory department, and had 
never really had a university organization. Its 
income had been small, and its facilities neces- 
sarily limited, but it had graduated many strong 
men and had created an " educational atmos- 
phere," and was just ready to enter upon a 
broader field of usefulness than ever before. Dr. 
Head's election initiated the new era in the life of 
the University, which resulted in giving it a really 
university organization. '' In pursuance of the 
new plan, the University was organized with first, 
the College proper, which has been retained, with 
a full and complete course in the classical and 
modern languages, in mathematics, in literature, 
and in the natural sciences. The studies are so 
adjusted as to include those of arts, science, letters 
and philosophy,^ allowing as large a liberty of 
choice as may be consistent with the college idea, 
and at the same time award an appropriate degree 
according to the course pursued." The schools 
now embraced in the University are the Normal, 



FISTOEY OF MISSOURI. 85 

or College of Instructive Teaching, which was 
opened in September, 1868 ; the Agricultural and 
Mechanical College, which commenced in 1870 ; the 
School of Mines and Metallurgy, which opened in 
November, 1871 ; the College of Law, commencing 
in October, 1872 ; the Medical College, which be- 
gan in February, 1873, and the department of An- 
alytical and Applied Chemistry, which commenced 
in May, 1873. Since this summary, other depart- 
ments have been opened, especially the depart- 
ment of Civil Engineering. The location of the 
Agricultural and Mechanical College at Columbia 
cost the county $60,000. Dr. Read resigned in De- 
cember, 1874, his resignation to take effect in 1876, 
that he might till out a half century as a college 
president. He was succeeded by Dr. Samuel S. 
Laws, the present incumbent. The University un- 
der Dr. Laws has taken on new life in every de- 
partment. The large and elegant additions re- 
cently made to the University buildings, the in- 
creased endowment arising from the sale of lands, 
the large appropriations from the Legislature, the 
increased number of graduates from all the 
schools, all bear testimony to the great energy and 
special fitness of Dr. Laws for the position which 
he occupies. The admission of ladies to all the 
classes, the election of a lady principal and the 
granting to the pupils of the Female College, lo- 
cated at Columbia, access to the classes and lec- 
tures in the University, all mark progress in the 



86 HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

right direction. It only remains for the denomina- 
tions of the State to locate their church or theo- 
logical schools in the vicinity of the University, 
that while they teach theology and denomina- 
tional peculiarities in their own halls, their stu- 
dents may matriculate for secular education in the 
University proper, to realize the ideal " State Uni- 
versity." ' 

WasMngton University is located in the city of 
St. Louis. It is not a denominational school. The 
charter granted February 12, 1857, declares that 
" no instruction, either sectarian in religion or par- 
tisan in politics, shall be allowed in any depart- 
ment of said University, and no sectarian or party 
test shall be allowed in the election of professors, 
teachers or other officers of said University, or in 
the admission of scholars thereto, or for any 
purpose ^whatever." It was formally opened on 
the 22d of April, 1857, by appropriate exercises at 
Academic Hall, and by an oration delivered by 
Edward Everett at Mercantile Library Hall. The 
University comprehends several colleges, Mary In- 
stitute for young ladies, Smith Academy, the col- 
lege proper, the Polytechnic School, the Law 
School and the Manual Training School. It is al- 
ready one of the best endowed and best equipped 
schools in the State. Under the management of 
that eminent scholar, and efficient executive officer, 
the lamented Chancellor Elliot, it rapidly pushed 



HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 87 

to the front as one of the first educational institu- 
tions in the United States. 

William Jewell College, a Baptist institution, 
is located at Liberty, in Clay county, Missouri. 
It was named in honor of William Jewell, M. D., 
of Columbia, Missouri. It was chartered in 1848. 
In 1854 the present commodious college buildings, 
situated on a commanding eminence, which over- 
looks the town, were erected. The property is val- 
ued at $75,000 and is unencumbered. The endow- 
ment fund is worth $100,000, though not all pro- 
ductive. It has eight distinctive schools, being or- 
ganized on the university plan. The first presi- 
dent was E. S. Dulin, D. D., LL. D. He was suc- 
ceeded by Rev. Robert W. Thomas, at one time a 
professor in the University of Missouri. He was 
succeeded by Rev. William Thompson, LL. D. 
He was succeeded by Rev. Thomas Rambout, of 
Louisville, Kentucky. At present the college has 
a chancellor and a president of the faculty, and is 
managed after the style of a first-class university. 
It is the denominational college of the Baptist peo- 
ple of the State, and a large number of young men 
have graduated from it, and are now tilling respon- 
sible positions in the State and in the Baptist 
Church. 

It is quite probable in these sketches will 
be found many inaccuracies, as the author has 
been compelled to rely, for the most part, on 
accounts of these institutions written several years 



88 HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 

since. They have doubtless, most of them, made 
improvements since that time, that ought to have 
been mentioned in these pages. It is quite prob- 
able that very many respectable schools have been 
founded since these accounts were written, but it 
has not been possible to get sufficient information 
in reference to them to write any suitable notice. 
This brie' outline, as already said, largely taken 
from the History of Missouri, by Davis and 
Darrie, and the Missouri Gazeteer, will give to the 
reader some idea of the educational facilities fur- 
nished the rising generation in this State. 

The schools of the Christian Church will receive 
suitable notice in another part of this volume. It 
is hoped to make full and accurate statements con- 
cerning them. 

If any one is disposed to criticise unfavorably 
this part of the volume, let it be remembered that 
it is intended to be the merest outline of these 
several institutions. 



PAUT II 



THE OHEISTIAN OHUEOH IN 
MISSOUEL 



CHURCHES OF CHRIST AND DECEASED 
MINISTERS. 



CHAPTER I. 



It is proposed to record in this volume sucli 
incidents in the lives of the pioneer preacher of 
"the current reformation" in Missouri and the 
early history of the Church of Christ in the State 
as can now be recalled by the few remaining con- 
temporaries of those grand men, or gathered from 
the meager records that have been preserved. 
This task is undertaken with much hesitation, 
both on account of the meagerness of the material 
at hand, and serious misgivings as to my ability 
to do the work satisfactorily even to myself. I 
am to write of no ordinary men and of no ordinary 
religious movement. 

Men who, on account of honest convictions and 
sincere love of the truth, abandoned the orthodoxy 
of their day and turned their backs upon the 
"denominations" to which their fathers had be- 
longed, who identified themselves with a religious 
movement voted almost unanimously heretical ; 
who committed themselves to a cause which had 

91 



92 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

no congregations, no church buildings, no news- 
papers, and no schools or colleges ; men who went 
out with the plea for "JS'ew Testament Chris- 
tianity " without any of the appendages or accre- 
tions of succeeding ages, without the hope of 
pecuniary support or earthly reward, were by no 
means ordinary men. A religious movement which 
in little inore than fifty years has grown from the 
humblest beginning to a great body numbering 
more than a half — ^perhaps three-quarters — of a 
million of communicants in the United States, to 
say nothing of the congregations in other lands, 
with newspapers — weeklies, monthlies, quarter- 
lies — ^with innumerable schools, academies, col- 
leges and universities, is not to be regarded as an 
ordinary movement. 

I can not therefore hope to write as I would 
desire of such men and such a movement, but I 
indulge the hope that some things may be re- 
corded worthy of preservation. 

The collection of material for such a work is 
extremely difficult, since very few of the pioneer 
preachers kept any account of their labors, and 
few if any of the churches have kept complete 
records. Church records among the early congre- 
gations consisted only of a list of names. There 
was such a dread of human creeds, and "man- 
made " church constitutions that there was not, as 
a rule, even a simple written covenant " to live 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 93 

together after God's ordinance," at least such was 
not, except in rare instances, recorded. 

With such facts as I have at my command, and 
such as may be furnished me as I progress, I enter 
upon my work, praying the blessings of God on 
this humble effort to preserve from oblivion the 
memory of these grand old soldiers of the cross. 

It is proposed to begin with a narrative of such 
incidents as have fallen under my personal obser- 
vation, or as have come to me so authenticated 
that I can vouch for their substantial accuracy. 

RAIN-DOLPH COUJ^TY. 

About fifty years ago there came from Fayette 
county, Kentucky, a few families, some of whom 
had belonged to the "David's Fork Baptist 
Church," and settled in the eastern part of this 
county. They were young men of limited means, 
who had sought a new country that they might 
secure inexpensive homes and improve their finan- 
cial condition. I recall the names of Roland T. 
Procter, James Heathman, John ^W. Buckner and 
Benj. Haley, with their wives and children. After 
their log cabins had been built and a few acres of 
land " cleared up " they began to think about the 
education of their children and a house of worship 
for themselves. 

After many consultations and many delightful 
seasons of worship in their cabins, they deter- 



94 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH I]^ MISSOURI. 

mined to build a " school-house," which would 
also answer for the purpose of a house of worship. 
These sturdy young farmers, with some of their 
new neighbors, felled the forest trees and created 
a commodious log cabin, covered with boards 
weighted down with poles, daubed with mud, 
floored with puncheons, seated with benches made 
of split logs supported by pegs driven into the 
round parts of the logs. The window was made 
by the removal of a log from one side, a rude sash 
was inserted and oiled foolscap paper was sub- 
stituted for glass. The chimney, which was wide 
and deep, was built of split logs and sticks, and 
daubed wnth mud or clay. The one door was 
made of boards and hinged and latched with a 
wooden contrivance which answered the purpose 
admirably. 

The school-house completed, no teacher was at 
hand, and they were compelled to await his 
coming. He came ere long in the person of an 
Irish pedagogue, fresh from the sod, whose name 
was Allan Bass, whose accomplishments were 
that he could '' read, write and cipher " as far as 
to " the rule of three," at w^hich point any preco- 
cious boy that dared to reach it was invariably 
"turned back." His only fault, so far as now 
remembered, was that he would get drunk on 
Friday evening, remaining so till Monday morn- 
ing, and it was often suspected that he was not 
duly sober then. 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 95 

Meanwhile others had moved into the new 
settlement, and while all were busy building their 
cabins and " clearing up " their farms, they had 
found time to hold prayer-meetings and talk 
together on religious subjects. In fact there has 
never been a time in the history of the church when 
the subject of religion received more attention 
from the masses than about the beginning of the 
present century. It was therefore a subject that 
could not be ignored. It was a time of discussion, 
not so much about what men should do to be 
saved, as about what they should believe in order 
to be saved. Party spirit ran high and preaching 
was doctrinal, and discussion was earnest, some - 
times bitter, even exceedingly bitter. 

Most of these men already mentioned had heard 
Alexander Campbell and those associated with 
him preach in Kentucky, and had adopted the 
" views " which they were promulgating. 

Roland T. Procter and his wife had identified 
themselves with the movement in Kentucky, and 
had been excluded from the Baptist Church for 
heresy. A number of others shared the same fate. 
My father and mother would have been of the 
number, but having already determined to remove 
to Missouri, they asked for and received a letter of 
commendation, which they never used, and which 
has been preserved among other family papers, 
and reads as follows : 



96 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

Tlie Baptist Church of Jesus Christy BamWs 
Fork^ Fayette County^ Kentucky. — This is to cer- 
tify that our brother, Benjamin Haley, and Ms 
wife Eliza, are members, in full fellowship and 
good standing with us, and will be legally dis- 
missed from us when joined to another Baptist 
Church of the same faith and order. 

Signed by order of the church the first Saturday 
in September, 1833. 

James Dawson, Clerk. 

Others held letters of the same purport. After 
many consultations, it was determined to look out 
a preacher, but where could he be found ? was the 
question. 

It occurred to them that an efibrt should be 
made to harmonize the neighborhood on the sub- 
ject of religion. They had heard of a preacher 
some twenty or thirty miles away, who claimed to 
belong to " the Church of Christ," without any 
prefix or suffix. 

He desired to be called simply a Christian 
preacher. He had no creed book but the Bible, 
and held that the " New Testament " was the only 
and sufficient rule of practice. He taught that 
" with the heart man belie veth unto righteousness 
and with the mouth confession is made unto salva- 
tion," that to become a Christian " one must be- 
lieve on the Lord Jesus with all the heart, repent 
of his sins, confess with his mouth what he be- 
lieves with his heart concerning the Lord Jesus, 



HISTORICAL AND BIOaHAPHICAL SKETCHES. 97 

and be immersed in tlie name or by the anthority 
of Jesus Christ, into the name of the Father, and 
the Son, and tlie Holy Spirit," that all who thus 
obeyed him were Christians and brethren, and 
ought to be united in the one body. 

It was thought possible that such a preacher 
with such teachings might suit the community. 
Accordingly a visit was made to him by one of the 
number ; a comparison of views was had, and they 
found themselves in such accord that the preacher 
was invited to visit them and preach for them. 
He came and made an eloquent plea for the " old 
paths," the " primitive gospel," and the " ancient 
order of things." His preaching produced intense 
excitement. Some discovered that he did not 
preach the " Trinity," nor the doctrine of " elec- 
tion and reprobation," nor " irresistible grace,'' 
nor " regeneration before faith in order to faith," 
nor " the special operation of the Holy Spirit on 
the sinner's heart in order to illuminate him so 
that he could understand the gospel and believe." 
He contented himself with preaching " Jesus 
Christ and him crucified," believing that the gos- 
pel of Christ is "the power of God unto salvation 
to every one that believe th, to the Jew first and 
also to the Greek." 

At the close of the meeting, seven of those 
named above, having first given themselves to the 
Lord Jesus, gave themselves to one another, thus 

T 



98 THE CHKISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

forming a Church of Christ, builded on the foun- 
dation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ him- 
self "being the corner-stone. 

At this meeting Mrs. J. W. Buckner was, upon 
her confession of faith in Christ, haptized " for the 
remission of sins," being the first person thu^ bap- 
tized in the county, so far as I have ever heard. 
Thus was founded the first Christian Church in 
Randolph county, known as " the Church of Christ 
at Antioch." 

Of the "charter members " of this church, Mrs. 
Elizabeth Heathman J(now Holloway) only sur- 
vives, and she, full of years and faithful still, is 
daily expecting the summons calling her hom.e to 
join the dear brethren and sisters of this little 
band, all of whom continued faithful unto death. 

This church prospered from the beginning, be- 
cause the faithful little band "continued stead- 
fastly in the apostles' doctrine, and in the fellow 
ship and in the breaking of bread and in prayer." 
"Whether a preacher was present or not, they met 
together on " the first day of the week " and kept 
the ordinance. 

The country was rapidly filling up, some breth- 
ren from Kentucky among them, but the principal 
growth was in the conversion of their neighbors. 
Every one who came into the community was vis- 
ited and urged to attend the meetings. It was 
only a few years till it became one of the largest 
congregations in the county. It held its promi- 



HISTOKICAL AND BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 99 

nence for many years. From tliis congregation 
came out a number of preachers, some of whom 
are widely, and all of them favorably, known. 

Alexander Procter, whose father and mother 
have been mentioned, was baptized at Antioch. 
Those who knew his father and mother have felt 
no surprise at the greatness of his intellect, the 
purity of his life, and the beautiful simplicity of 
his character. He has indeed proved himself a 
worthy son of most worthy parents. 

William Morton Featherston, than whom there 
is no worthier and few more useful preachers, was 
baptized here. Eugene Lampton, so widely and 
so favorably known as a preacher of ability, es- 
pecially in Illinois, where he has labored the 
greater part of his time for the past twenty years, 
was also baptized here. Allen Knight, now of 
Ohio, a popular pastor and an excellent preacher, 
was also baptized at Antioch. Henry H. Haley, 
the accomplished scholar, the polished gentleman, 
the successful pastor and the eloquent preacher 
(now passed to his reward), as well as the writer 
of these pages, was also baptized at Antioch. 

It is doubtful whether or not another church in 
the State has made such a record so far as sending 
out preachers is concerned. The secret of their 
success in this direction, was that they watched < 
for and developed the talent of their young men 
and encouraged them to enter the ministry. 

The old church in late years, chiefly on account 



100 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

of the organization of the church at Moberly, has 
fallen somewhat behind, but they still maintain 
their organization and their worship, and have 
quite recently had a meeting in which there was 
a large gathering 




JXlc^ frr^^yU/- 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHCIAL SKETCHES. 101 

CHAPTEE II. 

ALLEX WEIGHT. 

The preacher to whom reference has been made, 
and who founded the church at Antioch, was Allen 
Wright, of blessed memory. He was born in 
Wayne county, Kentucky, November 19th, 1809, 
was the son of Evan and Rebecca Wright. On 
the 3rd of July, 1828, he was married to Elizabeth 
Summers. Shortly after this he removed to Ala- 
bama, where he remained a short time. He then 
removed to Vermillion county, Illinois, near Dan- 
ville, where his oldest son, James N., was born. 
In 1850, he came to Missouri and settled on a farm 
in the western part of Randolph county. 

He was above six feet in height, perfectly erect, 
and weighed probably one hundred and seventy- 
five pounds. He was broad-shouldered and some- 
what angular. His hair was brown, but from 
early manhood he had been quite bald. His eyes 
were blue, bordering on grey. His complexion 
fair, and his expression earnest, cheerful and be- 
nevolent. His voice was strong and clear, yet soft 
as a lute. He sang well. Many a time have I seen 
a large audience moved to tears while he sang 
alone some favorite hymn at the beginning of the 
service and before he had [spoken a word. 

He was not a scholarly man, but spoke and 



102 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

wrote his vernacular correctly. I do not know 
what educational advantages he enjoyed, but he 
was an educated man only in the sense that he 
was trained to think accurately and investigate 
earnestly. He read much and thought profoundly. 
As a preacher he was argumentative and logical, 
as an exhorter he was not excelled, even in those 
days of splendid exhorters. 

In more recent times preachers have greatly im- 
proved in their ability to reach the heads of their 
audiences, but many most successful in this direc- 
tion are greatly wanting in "heart power," and 
while they convince they do not always move. 

Allen Wright convinced the judgment and mov- 
ed the heart. He was at the time of which I have 
spoken still a young man, and quite poor, with a 
growing family around him. He toiled in the field 
during the week, and preached on Saturday night 
and Sunday, at such points as were accessible, and 
returned to his labor on Monday morning. He 
often yielded, however, to the entreaties of the peo- 
ple and preached the unsearchable riches of Christ 
to them while the plow stood still in the field. He 
jDreached without salary, and for the most part in 
those days without compensation. I recall one 
scene which deeply touched my heart, young as I 
then was. He had preached for several days and 
was about to take leave of us. We had followed 
him out to the style-blocks to bid him good-by. 
My father drew out his pocket-book and divided 



HISTOEICAL AIN^D BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 103 

the scanty purse with the dear preacher, whom we 
all loved devotedly. The great tears came into 
the preacher's eyes ; his voice was husky with 
emotion, as he said : "I thank you. Brother Ben ; 
this will be a great comfort to my dear wife." 
Then, somewhat recovered, he said almost glee- 
fully, " I think if anybody on this earth deserves 
to go to heaven, it is my wife, who remains at 
home and cares for the children, while I am away 
preaching, and Bally (pointing to his horse) who 
carries me to my appointments." 

He continued to preach quite extensively over 
Randolph, Macon and Howard counties, making 
occasional visits into the counties on the south 
side of the Missouri river. During these years he 
was remarkably successful, baptizing many and 
establishing churches. 

In 1841 he removed to Green county and locat- 
ed not far from Springfield, on a farm, where he 
remained until the death of his wife, on the 23d 
day of March, 1843. During the years he resid- 
ed there he preached as he had opportunity, and 
planted many congregations in Southwest Mis- 
souri. After the death of his wife he spent three 
years as an evangelist under the direction of the 
State Meeting, as it was then styled. 

By his first wife he had three sons that reached 
manhood, viz : James N., Joseph B. and Spencer 
P., the eldest and youngest of whom are still liv- 
ing, and actively engaged in the gospel ministry. 



104 THE CHEISTIAN" CHURCH IN MISSOTJEI. 

In 1846 hp located in Georgetown, in Pettis 
conntj, where, on December 22d, same year, lie 
married Miss Lydia Virginia Fristoe. In all these 
years he was quite successful. In Southwest 
Missouri he co-operated extensively with that 
prince among men, Joel H. Hayden, of whom we 
shall speak hereafter. Large congregations greet- 
ed him wherever he went. In almost every meet- 
ing persons confessed the Savior, and congrega- 
tions were built up. While laboring in this 
region an incident occurred which illustrates the 
character of the times and the courage of the 
preacher. 

At a meeting held perhaps in a grove, two 
young ladies made themselves quite conspicuous 
and greatly disturbed the congregation, much to the 
annoyance of the preacher. He therefore reprov- 
ed them sharply in very plain language. The 
next morning he started on his way to a neighbor- 
ing town. While passing through a dense wood, 
a young man dashed up behind him and an- 
nounced that he was the brother of the young 
ladies whom he had so severely reproved, and that 
he had come to punish him for the offence, that he 
must get down from his horse and fight him. The 
preacher remonstrated, argued, entreated and al- 
most begged. He told him that he was a man 
of peace and Jdid not want the disgrace of a 
fight. The young man was incorrigible, so the 
preacher alighted, tied his horse by the wayside. 



HISTOEICAL Ai^D BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 105 

removed his coat and announced himself ready. 
The young man rushed upon him, was in an in- 
stant knocked sprawling on the ground. In an- 
other instant the preacher was upon him and 
administered to him a severe chastisement. At 
length the young man cried enough, and was re- 
leased. The preacher then said : '' Young man^ 
I bear you no malice ; you forced this battle on 
me ; you have been badly worsted. IS'ow if you 
will never tell it I will not," and he did not, till 
just before his death, and then he would give no 
name. He always felt, he said, that he returned 
good for evil, for he made a decent man out of 
that young fellow. 

Shortly after his second marriage he removed to 
Lexington, and became the pastor of the church 
there. This was perhaps the first church in the 
State to employ all a preacher's time. Here he 
remained for more than ten years. Though the 
pastor of the church, he was permitted to spend 
much of his time evangelizing. Here he had more 
time for reading and better opportunities to secure 
good books than he had before enjoyed. He had 
already become a fine speaker and a man of great 
influence among the churches. He soon became a 
recognized leader, and one of the ablest men in 
the State in his church. 

His ministry in Lexington was much of the time 
under circumstances " that tried men's souls," and 
under which a weaker man would have failed 



106 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOUEI. 

utterly, but he secured the affection of his 
brethren and commanded the respect of the entire 
community. His influence was felt for good 
throughout all that region of country, having 
preached for all the churches more or less, and 
having secured a strong personal influence in all 
of them. It was here he lost his second wife, (who 
died May 24th, 1857,) by whom he had two chil- 
dren, Allen Wright, Jr., and Ella . Y., the last 
named having crossed " over the dark river." 

After the death of ♦his second wife he again 
became an evangelist. He visited his son James 
JN"., who was then devoting his whole time to the 
church in Barry, Pike county, Hlinois. On his 
return he held a meeting in Hannibal, which 
resulted in forty -five accessions to the church, 
including the mayor of the city and his family. 

In the fall of 1858, or early in 1859, he married 
Lizzie R. De Jarnett, of Pettis county. He then 
bought a farm in the county and began to preach 
in the region round about. During the summer of 
1859 his health began to fail. He, with his wife, 
made a visit to Republican Church, in LaFayette 
county in the summer of 1860. While there he 
was taken sick at the house of his old friend and 
biotlier, Anderson Warren. He could not have 
fallen into kinder hands, nor among a people who 
loved liini better, but notwithstanding all that lov- 
ing liands and skillful physicians could do, his 
sickness proved to be " unto death." He passed 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHE 107 

away on the 19th day of July, 1860, mourned by 
thousands who had come into the kingdom of God 
through his influence. Brother McGarvey, then 
of Dover, Missouri, and the writer, were called to 
attend his funeral. A large audience was present 
at the old Republican Church, and all wept and 
mourned him as if he had been a member of their 
own household. His devoted brethren there claim- 
ed his body, as he had organized their church. 
They laid it away to rest only a few feet from the 
pulpit where he had so often preached the gospel. 
They also erected a neat monume:-it to his memory 
and there his dust sleeps. 

Rest, my dear brother, the first man whom I 
remember as a preacher of the gospel, and whom I 
shall hope to see first among the redeemed of the 
Lord, if he shall count me righteous for Christ's 
sake, and permit me to enter in through the gates 
into the city. 

ELDEE THOMAS THOMPSOIS". 

The next preacher whom I remember as an occa- 
sional visitor at Antioch was Thomas Thompson. 
I have not the data for a biographical sketch of 
this pioneer. He was perhaps some years older 
than Allen Wright, but commenced his ministry 
about the same time. One of his co-laborers says 
he was from the Baptists. 

He resided then in Boone county, and subse- 



108 THE CHRISTIA]^ CHUECH I^ MISSOURI. 

quently in Monroe, xle was, as I remember Mm, 
a large man, weighing perhaps two hundred and 
twenty-five pounds, about -Qye feet ten inches in 
height. His voice was strong and clear, his style 
conversational. He was remarkable for his great 
familiarity with the holy Script ires. It was said 
that he had committed to memory every line of 
the New Testament and was tho>. oughly versed in 
the Old. He never opened the book when he 
recited his text, which was always an entire chap- 
ter, but repeated it from memory. His sermons 
were commentaries on the text, and exceedingly 
instructive. He was not, I think, regarded as a 
successful evangelist, and yet he baptized a great 
many persons and his converts were always well 
instructed, not simply in regard to the plan of 
salvation, but in the practical duties of Christian 
life. 

I remember an anecdote which he used to relate 
with much zest, of one of his servants, an old negro 
man. There had been a revival among the Meth- 
odist brethren in his vicinity. After the meeting 
the converts were to be baptized. They met at 
the water's edge. Some were immersed, some 
"sprinkled" and some "poured." The old man 
watched the immersion with great interest and 
solemnity, but when the sprinkling and pouring 
process began, he exclaimed, " Humph ! Dat's 
mighty foolish ; my old massa will have all dat to 
do over again," and he did, for many who were 



HISTOEICAL ATs^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 109 

sprinkled or poured were afterwards immersed. 
It may not be, and doubtless will not be, regarded 
as an argument in favor of immersion as the only 
scriptural baptism, but it is nevertheless true, that 
in my ministry of more than thirty years, I have 
known many persons who had received sprinkling 
for baptism, some in infancy, some in adult age, 
who afterwards became dissatisfied and were 
immersed, but I have never known one who had 
been immersed who subsequently became dissatis- 
fied with his baptism as to the mode. 

About the year 1840 brother Thompson moved 
from Monroe county and settled in the north part 
of Grundy county. A fellow-laborer says of him 
at that time : ''He was an able man in the gospel, 
was truly a man of faith, and forcibly reminded 
me of the lamented brother Benjamin Franklin." 
He and his son-iniaw, William Reed, Jr., and 
John S. Allen, of Bethany, Harrison county, evan- 
gelized the Grand River country from 1844 to 
1849, subsisting in part, much of the time, as 
brother Allen humorously tells it, on " crab 
apples and hazelnuts." They drank rye coffee 
sweetened with " long sweetening " (meaning 
honey). Brother Allen, who tells a story well, 
relates 'an amusing anecdote of brother Thompson. 

He was accustomed to preach sermons of great 
length. On one occasion when he had preached a 
sermon of unusual length, he closed by saying he 
had " barely hinted at the subject." Whereupon 



110 THE CHRISTIAN" CHURCH ITT MISSOURI. 

brother Allen arose and gravely remarked : 
"Whereas, the subject which onr brother has had 
under consideration is one of great interest, and as 
he has only had time to ' barely hint at the sub- 
ject,' I move that we meet to-morrow morning at 
9 o'clock, bring our dinners and spend the day 
and give the brother time to complete the dis- 
course." 

Of course the audience saw the point and roared 
with laughter, but the preachers were too much 
devoted to each other to allow this practical joke 
to separate them or alienate them even for an 
hour. Whether or not it had the effect to shorten 
brother Thompson's sermons I never learned. 

Brother Thompson moved from the Grand River 
country to the gold fields of California in the great 
emigration of 1849. He was the first Christian 
preacher on the Pacific coast, and organized 
several of the principal churches in that far off 
State. 

When I was in California, in 1872-3, there was 
no name among ^our people mentioned more fre- 
quently or remembered more affectionately than 
that of "Uncle Tommy Thompson," as he was 
familiarly called there. He finally settled in the 
lovely valley of Santa Clara, about midway 
between the cities of Santa Clara and San Jose. 
Those who have passed along the " Alia Meda," 
overspread as it is with weeping willow branches, 
passed within a few rods of the house in which 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Ill 

this grand old hero passed the evening of his 
days, and in which^he " turned his face to the wail 
and slipped away to God." His family, except 
one daughter, Mrs. Reed, of Mercer county, follow- 
ed him to California and are among the most 
respected citizens of that wonderful State. One 
son-in-law, brother James Anderson, was in 1873 a 
prosperous merchant and an acceptable preacher^ 
living at Ukiah, in Mendocino county. His step- 
son, the Hon. Thomas H. Laine, of Santa Clara 
and San Jose (for he worships in one town and 
practices his profession, that of the law, in the 
other) is regarded as the orator of Southern Cali- 
fornia. When I was there the two most brilliant 
orators of the State were Wirt Pendegrast and 
Thomas H. Laine, one the son of a Christian 
preacher and the other a step-son. Would that 
these brilliant talents had been consecrated to the 
gospel ministry which their fathers loved so well. 
Brother John S. Allen, writing of the labors of 
Elder Thompson in Missouri, says : " In 1844, 
Thomas Thompson and the writer were chosen by 
the churches in the Grand River country to travel 
as evangelists in the several counties. Our field 
embraced the Grand River country, including Gen- 
try, Daviess, Livingston, Grundy, and as far east 
as Lynn county. Mercer and this (Harrison) 
county were then territory, not organized counties ^ 
as was Gentry also. The country being so 
sparsely settled, our rides were often long and 



112 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECI'I IN MISSOUEI. 

wearisome, but we took great pleasure in our 
meetings, in seeing many of our fellow citizens 
bow to the authority of the gospel. At Linneus, 
Chillicothe, Gallatin and Trenton we held many 
successful meetings and planted the cause of prim- 
itive Christianity in the Grand River country. 
Our salaries were never computed. The brethren 
would sometimes give us fifty cents or a dollar, or 
a present of some sort. It was not the almighty 
dollar that caused us in those days to make the 
sacrifice and do the work we did, but we were 
prompted by our love for the cause and a great 
desire to establish it in this then new country.'' 

ELDER WILLIAM REED, SR. 

Elder William Reed, Sr., was also one of the 
pioneers who preached occasionally at Antioch. 
He also came from Kentucky, about the year 1835, 
and settled on a farm not far from Middle Grove, 
in Monroe county. He was tall and slender, prob- 
ably over six feet in height, weighing about one 
hundred and fifty pounds. He was already ad- 
vanced in years and somewhat stooped when I 
first knew him. His voice was thin and loud and 
his manner excited ; he was an earnest exhorter. 
He was a substantial farmer and owned a number 
of servants. He was not, I think, an educated 
man, but was an earnest and effective speaker. 
He preached the gospel because he loved it. 



HISTOEICAL AITD BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 113 

In that day, in his section of the countiy, the 
harvest was truly plenteous, while the laborers 
were few. He had a large family connection in 
that region, all of whom were excellent people, 
and most of them earnest disciples. 

I remember an incident which he related, which 
illustrates his conscientiousness and zeal for the 
truth. At the South, in the days of slavery, the 
negroes kept strict account of all holidays, espe- 
cially church days, such as Christnias, Easter, 
Good Friday, etc., and always claimed the holi- 
day as a day of rest. On one occasion his serv- 
ants asked him for an Easter holiday on Monday 
after Easter Sunday. He said: " N'o. We are 
neither heathen nor Catholics ; we do not celebrate 
heathen festival days. Go to your work to-day, 
and you can have to-morrow or any other day as a 
holidaj^." I heard him relate this incident when I 
was a little boy. I have never forgotten it. I al- 
waj^s recall it when I see Christian people celebra- 
ting heathen festival days as Christian festivals. 

I do not recall any great meetings he ever held, 
but I am quite sure that all who knew him remem- 
ber him as I do, as a man of God and worthy of 
much better notice than I can give of him in these 
pages. He died at his home in the midst of his 
family and kindred, loved by them all, and re- 
spected and honored as a good man by all his 
neighbors. John Reed, of Moberly, Mrs. Thos. P. 



114 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

White, of Moberly, Missouri, and Mrs. Rumbold^ 
of Carbondale, Illinois, are his grand-children. 
There are many others of his descendants, hut of 
their whereabouts I am not advised. 

There is no estimating the value of the life of a 
good man ; he lives in his posterity and his influ- 
ence will be felt to the latest generation of men. 

ELDEE WILLIAM WHITE. 

Another worthy man whose name is associated 
with the early history of the church at Antioch 
was Eld. William White, of Boone county, Mis- 
souri. He too was already an old man, past the 
meridian, when I first knew him. He was tall and 
slender, above six feet in height, and weighed not 
exceeding one hundred and forty pounds. His 
hair had been black, his eyes dark and his com- 
plexion swarthy. He was a fair speaker and 
knew his story well. He was full of pathos ; in- 
deed I remember him as a sad man, a man of 
tears. Many were led to the cross of Christ un- 
der his ministry. He held many protracted meet- 
ings, and always with more or less success in the 
way of additions. He lived in comparative ob- 
scurity, preaching for the most part in country 
districts, and receiving very little compensation 
for his services. He died in the Lord, and rests 
from his labors and his works do follow him. 

He left several sons, among whom was the Hon. 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 115 

Thomas P. White, deceased, of Moberly, Missouri, 
who was at one time judge of the county court, and 
at a later date a member of the lower house of the 
Missouri Legislature. 

ELDER EREDEEICK SHOOT. 

Another name occurs to me in this connection, 
that of Elder Frederick Shoot. He was born in 
Kentucky, in 1794. He went from Kentucky to 
niinois at an early day, and from thence to Mis- 
souri, and settled in Monroe county. He after- 
wards lived in Shelbyville, where he died. He 
preached in all the counties in JN'ortheast Missouri. » 
He was a man of fine common sense and pleasant 
address; was tall and slender and had a com- 
manding presence. He was not highly educated, 
but spoke and wrote his mother tongue correctly. 
His voice was not very strong, but clear and dis- 
tinct, and his style conversational. At times he 
spoke under considerable excitement, and his ex- 
hortations, tender and eloquent, moved his hearers 
deeply. He too, as were nearlj^ all the pioneer 
preachers, was poor in this world's goods, but rich 
in faith. After a laborious and self-sacrificing 
life, he passed away in the blessed hope of immor- 
tality and eternal life. 

He left a family of children, some of whom are 
still living. His son, Dr. Shoot, died at Trenton, 
Missouri, and his widow and children reside there. 



116 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

Some of liis descendants reside at Hannibal, Mis- 
souri. I have no data on which, to write a suit- 
able notice of this good man, but even this brief 
notice is better than absolute silence. 

Another pioneer minister well remembered as a 
visitor to Antioch, was 

ELDER MARTIN- SIDEI^-ER. 

He came from Fayette county, Kentucky, in the 
year 1836, and settled in Monroe county. He be- 
longed to the large family of that name, so many 
of whom still reside in that county. He was bap- 
tized in Kentucky by that wonderful man, Thomas 
M. Allen, and commenced preaching there. After 
he came to Missouri he was married, in 1837, to 
Miss Louisa Buckner, daughter of Madison Buck- 
ner, and sister of Mrs. J. C. Fox, Mrs. Baxton Gid- 
dings, and Mrs. Ragland, of Paris, Missouri. 

He, like most of our preachers in those days, 
lived on a farm and depended chiefly upon its pro- 
ducts for a living. I do not remember so well his 
personal appearance as I do some other men whom 
I heard at that time. I remember him, however, 
as of medium height, slender build and dark com- 
plexion. 

He was, I think, only a man of moderate attain- 
ments, but remarkable for his zeal and power in 
exhortation. He held several protracted meetings 
at Antioch, with great success, and was a most 



HISTOEICAL AISTD BIOGRAPHCIAL SKETCHES. 117 

successful recruiter wherever lie went. I think it 
was he who immersed Alexander Procter, and a 
number of other young men about his age. I re- 
call an incident which produced intense excite- 
ment in the neighborhood during one of his meet- 
ings. A wayward young man went to church one 
morning and heard this earnest man tell the stor^' 
of the cross, was cut to the heart, " went forward," 
made the good confession and, with others, was 
straightway baptized and the same day added to 
the church. Tlie whole community, outside the 
Christian Church, was shocked and outraged. 
They thought Christianity was scandalized. They 
held up their hands in holy horror and said, 
"These Campbellites have baptized and received 
into their church a man who has never repented." 
These good people, it seems, supposed the value 
and genuineness of repentance depended on the 
length of time consumed in repenting. They had 
overlooked the case of " three thousand " on the 
day of Pentecost, who assembled in the morning 
with their hands red with the blood of the Re- 
deemer, who heard the gospel, and gladly received 
the word and were baptized, and the same day 
added to the church. This, too, the first time they 
ever heard the gospel. Surely they were not bap- 
tized without repentance. They had also forgot- 
ten the case of the jailer at Philippi, who heard 
but one sermon, at midnight, but who believed on 
the Lord Jesus Christ, and was baptized and all 



118 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IIS" MISSOURI. 

liis house straightway, even the same hour of the 
night. Surely they were not baptized without re- 
pentance. Also the case of the Ethiopian noble- 
man, who heard the gospel as he sat in his chariot 
riding along the highway, and when he came to a 
certain water he said, " Here is water ; what doth 
hinder me to be baptized ?" The preacher said, 
"If thou believest with all thy heart, thou 
mayest." " I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son 
of God." The chariot stood still, they descended 
into the water, he was baptized, and went on his 
way rejoicing. Surely he was not baptized with- 
out repentance. Brother Sidener had followed 
distinguished examples. 

He continued to preach constantly in Monroe, 
Marion, Shelby and Randolph counties, but was 
doomed to an early grave. I do not remember the 
nature of his malady nor the particulars of his 
last illness and death. He was greatly loved and 
sincerely mourned by his brethren. I know noth- 
ing of his family. I have an impression that he 
left children, but do not know whether any of them 
survive or not. I have failed to secure any in- 
formation from his family and have prepared this 
imperfect sketch from my own memory of the man 
and the times. I wish it were more worthy of him, 
I feel assured that of all the worthy men of whom 
I write, none had a warmer place in the hearts of 
the brethren than did Martin Sidener. 

Since the above sketch was written, the follow- 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 119 

ing was received which tells something of the cir- 
cumstances of his death : 

" Paeis, Mo., March 18, 1884. 

" Deae Beothee Haley : — Your card received 
and should have been answered sooner, but I have 
been confined to my bed by sickness and not able 
to write. 

"Martin Sidener came to Missouri in the year 
1836, and was married to Louisa M. Buckner, Jan- 
uary 19, 1837. He lived in Monroe county — 
preached at Berea Church. His wife died the 6th 
of September, 1842. It was rather remarkable 
that as soon as his wife died, he said he knew he 
would not live but a year. He was holding a pro- 
tracted meeting at Middle Grove when he was 
taken sick ; he was removed to the house of Wil- 
liam B. Giddings. All during his illness he kept 
asking the day of the month. When the 6th of 
September came (just one year from the time his 
wife died), he died, at the same hour of the day 
that his wife was taken the year before. These 
are all the facts that mother remembers. 
" Your friend, 

"Annie May Fox." 

ELDEE JOHN ALEXANDEE. 

Another man, not so widely known, perhaps, as 
some already mentioned, but remembered as an 



120 THE CHRISTIAN- CHURCH KT MISSOURI. 

earnest man and a faithful preacher of the gospel, 
was John Alexander, of Monroe county, Missouri. 
He came from Clark county, Kentucky, about the 
year 1841 or '42, and settled on a farm west of 
Paris about eight miles. Here he established a 
character for piety, goodness and usefulness that 
any man might be proud of. He was one of the 
excellent of the earth, a man of intellectual, moral 
and Christian worth. As a Christian preacher he 
was deservedly esteemed for his usefulness in 
building up Christians and his success in winning 
souls to Christ. In November, 1844, while out in 
the field, he fell dead without a moment's warn- 
ing, and a co-laborer waiting his obituary said 
of him: "Although oar brother was suddenly 
snatched away, I am confident he was prepared to 
receive the plaudit,' Well done, good and faith- 
ful servant.' " 

He left a wife, two sons and several daughters . 
One of his sons, Armstead, is now a member of 
Congress from the district of which Monroe county 
is a part. He is said to be much like his father. 
A lawyer by profession, an elder of the church in 
Paris, and superintendent of the Sunday school, 
he is a most worthy representative of his most 
excellent father. 

I have no memoranda of the ministerial work 
and labor of brother Alexander. I remember 
seeing him but once. He came to Antioch to 
preach the funeral of a dear relative of ours, whom 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 121 

he had known in Kentucky. His aged widow, 
now the widow of the late Col. Nelson, of Monroe, 
still resides in Paris, honored by her children and 
greatly beloved hy the church. 

ISAAC FOSTER. 

Another one of the early ministers at Antioch, 
of whom no suitable notice has ever been written, 
was Isaac Foster. He was a large man, weighing 
perhaps two hundred and twenty-five pounds, and 
not exceeding five feet, ten inches in height. He 
was a plain man, who had secured only a limited 
education ; a man of good common sense, and a 
fine knowledge of the Scriptures. He was a man 
of most excellent character and a preacher of fair 
ability for his day and time. His brethren at 
Antioch aided him in the purchase of a small farm 
in the vicinity of the old church, where he resided 
for a number of years with his quaint old wife, 
whose very quaintness furnished many a jest for 
the young people of the neighborhood. 

He served this congregation once a month and 
preached to others in the regions round about. 
After some years he removed to Adair county, 
where he continued to preach for a number of 
years. I have no particulars of his death and can 
say nothing of his posterity. He had one son. 
Fountain Foster, and several daughters, but I 
have lost sight of them. 



122 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IIT MISSOURI. 
ELDER HENRT THOMAS. 

The preacher who served the church at Antioch 
longer than any other, and will be best remem- 
bered, was Elder Henry Thomas. He was born, 
I think, in Henry or Shelby county, Kentucky. 
He belonged to a family of preachers. Elder 
Smith Thomas, of Louisville, lately deceased, and 
Elder Henson Thomas, of Northeast Missouri, both 
prominent Baptist ministers, were his brothers. 
He was himself a Baptist minister, and came to 
Missouri in an early day and settled in Fayette. 
Under the influence of Elder J. H. Haden and 
others he embraced the principles of the Reforma- 
tion, and became a preacher among the disciples. 
Yery soon thereafter he removed to Paris, Mis- 
souri, where he continued to reside a great many 
years. He was educated for the Baptist ministry, 
and while his education was not classical, it was 
much better than that of most Baptist ministers of 
his time. He was one of the few men, in the early 
ministry of the Christian Church, who had some 
knowledge of the Grreek and Latin languages. He 
was about five feet ten inches in height, and 
weighed probably one hundred and sixty pounds. 

He preached for the church in Paris a part of 
his time for a great many years ; indeed, I think 
they had no other "regular preacher" until his 
removal from their midst. He had a clear, ringing 
voice, somewhat monotonous, however. His ser- 



HISTOEICAL AjS'D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 123 

mons were argumentative, and lie was never 
regarded as a good exhorter. He was a practical 
man, of large common sense, and the clmrclies 
greatly prospered under his care. He visited 
Antioch once a month, and generally spent several 
days at each visit looking after the membership 
and acquainting himself with the condition of the 
congregation. His audiences, even on these ordi- 
nary occasions, were large, and there were fre- 
quent additions. 

, He was thoroughly familiar with our " plea " 
and with all the issues between the disciples and 
their religious neighbors. While he was not fond 
of debate, he was remarkably successful in the 
discussion of these issues. He held many " pro- 
tracted meetings " at Antioch, and these were 
occasions of rare interest. The people came in 
great numbers and from great distances. It was 
at one of these meetings held, I think, in June, 
1846, that the writer made the good confession, 
then a lad only only fourteen years of age. At 
that meeting nearly all the young people of the 
neighborhood came into the church. I remember 
well that nine young persons went down into the 
water, hand in hand, the day that I was immers- 
ed ; one of these my older brother and two of them 
cousins. 

Elder Thomas also held many meetings in 
Monroe, Marion, Shelby, Ralls and Pike counties, 
occasionally making a visit into more distant 



124 THE CHEISTIAK CHUECH 11^ .MISSOUEI. 

counties. iSTo minister in tlie State, at that time^ 
liad a more extended influence than he. He mar- 
ried the young, visited the sick, preached the 
funerals of the dead, and comforted the mourners 
throughout a large section of country. He was 
what few preachers are, a careful, painstaking 
business man. For this reason he was chosen 
administrator for a great many estates, and 
always managed them to the entire satisfaction of 
the interested parties. It used to be said by the 
wags about Paris, that when a man joined the 
" Campbellite Church " he was sworn to buy his 
goods of Cephas Fox and have Henry Thomas 
administer on his estate when he died. 

Chiefly on account of his wife's delicate health, 
he determined to remove to Texas. This he did in 
the fall of the year 1849. It was announced that 
he would preach one evening at Middle Grove^ 
some seven or eight miles from old Antioch, on his 
way. Texas was then a long way off", and the 
people never expected to see their beloved pastor 
again ; so the young people, almost en masse, 
went out on horseback and returned after meet- 
ing at night. He remained in Texas about twenty 
years, when he returned to Missouri. His coming 
was hailed with delight by his old friends, but 
when he came it was a great disappointment to 
him and to them as well. He had not grown as a 
preacher, and they had grown away beyond him. 
I heard him speak and was greatly disappointsd. 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 125 

While without doubt he preached the old sermons 
on the old issues quite as well as in other days, it 
was a discussion of dead issues. It was as if we 
were trying to wear our clothing to-day in the 
style of the Revolutionary fathers. It would 
make us ridiculous. He of course failed to create 
any interest or to find a place. He returned to 
Texas, but in a little wdiile drifted back again, 
and after drifting about for a time he landed in 
California. The last time I saw him was at the 
railway depot in Woodland, California, in the 
year 1873. His family joined him there, where, in 
a year or two thereafter, he died. The last years 
of his life he seemed a sad and disappointed man. 
I have heard that his ministry in Texas w^as not 
happy nor successful ; that he gave himself up 
largely to monej^-making, and was not blessed in 
his ministry. Of the truth of this report I can not 
affirm, but I do know that in the earlier years of 
his ministry none were more successful and few 
more beloved. I have known a number of preach- 
ers who turned aside from their holy calling to 
secular pursuits, but I do not remember a single 
case in which they have been successful. They 
generally return full of disappointment and self- 
reproaches. Elder Thomas had several sons and 
one daughter. His eldest son, William G., is 
dead. Of the whereabouts of the others, if living, 
I do not know, but am under the impression that 
they are still in California. 



126 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 
ELDER ALFRED WILSON. 

I have yet to speak of another faithful servant 
of God, who often preached at Antioch, namely, 
Elder Alfred Wilson. He resided also in Paris. 
He was in early life a blacksmith. He accumu- 
lated a considerable property ; owned a good farm 
a few miles from Paris, on the Hannibal road. 
Being an unusually bright man, and having an 
earnest desire to preach the gospel, he sold his 
farm, bought him a neat home in Paris, and so 
invested his means as to have a competent income. 
He was probably thirty-five or forty years old 
when he began to preach. He knew almost noth- 
ing of books save the Bible, but he knew that 
most thoroughly. He understood human nature 
quite as well. He became a fluent and easy 
speaker. He had a fine face and good address, 
and a good voice ; he sang well and was an earnest 
and \ powerful exhorter. Above all he was pious 
and devoted, and the entire community had the 
utmost confidence in him. After the removal of 
Elder Tliomas to Texas, Alfred Wilson took his 
place with the churches, and very largely in the 
hearts of the people. While he was never a great 
preacher, few men if any accomplished more good 
than he during the years of his ministry. He 
served the churches in Monroe, Randolph and 
adjacent counties for a number of years and then 
fell asleep in Jesus, in the midst of his family and 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 127 

friends, greatly beloved by all who knew liim. He 
left a wife and two sons who still reside in the 
vicinity of Paris. Perhaps the younger son has in 
the last few years removed. 

I have now mentioned all the deceased minis- 
ters who served the church at Antioch regularly or 
who visited there occasionally. It is barely pos- 
sible that I have overlooked some one ; if so, it is 
because his visit was so casual that it did not 
impress me, and I write wholly from memory. I 
have not spoken of those still living who have 
preached there. It is not the plan of these pages 
to speak of ministers who still live, except casual- 
ly or in special cases. Let some other pen write 
of us when we are gone to our reward. 

It is quite probable that some of my readers 
will discover inaccuracies in what I have written. 
It will be observed that I have given few dates. I 
have found it utterly impossible. The events, 
however, that I have recorded occurred for the 
most part prior to the war, and belong to what 
we call the early history of our cause in the State. 

I must now give a brief account of other 
churches in Randolph county. In so doing I shall 
have occasion to refer frequently to the names 
already mentioned in these pages, since they were 
all more or less connected with the planting of the 
churches throughout all that region. 



128 THE CIIRISTIAI^ CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

DOVER. 

It is my impression that next to Antioch was 
founded the church at Dover in the southwestern 
part of the county. This church was afterwards 
called Higbee, and is now, I think, at the flour- 
ishing village of that name. 

Of the early members of that church I recall 
the names of the Higbees, of whom "Grand- 
mother - ' Collier,"^ now of Trenton, Missouri, is the 
only survivor. The Rutherfords, She! ton and his 
family, Maj. Burton and family, Ned Owens and 
family, and some years later, the Aliens — Capt. 
John J. and his brother Grant — and their families. 
I can not say who established this old church, but 
I can remember when Elders White, Haden and 
Thomas and Allen Wright used to visit them. In 
later years Noah W. Miller, who taught school not 
far from there, was their pastor. The old *' meet- 
ing house " in which they first met has long since 
gone to decay. The second house was built in the 
vicinity of " Uncle May Burton's," and is prob- 
ably the house in which they now worship. Tliis 
church, like most country churches, was scattered 
over a large district of country, and has always 
exercised a good influence. I have reason fco re- 
member the old Dover church, for it was there that 
I made my first effort at " exhortation." Brother 
William White and, I think, Brother William An- 

* Kovv deceased. 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 129 

derson were conducting a protracted meeting. I 
was attending, and knowing that I was thinking 
about preaching, one of them called upon me to 
make an exhortation. I tried, but I do not now 
recall one word I said on that occasion, and I sus- 
pect no one else does. 

HUNTSYILLE. 

The church at Huntsville was, I think, the 
next one to organize. Of the early members of 
this congregation I remember the following : 

Capt. Neal Murphy and family, Haden L. Ruth- 
erford and wife, William T. Rutherford and wife. 
Col. Henry Austin, P. A McCall. Dr. Joseph 
Rutherford was a disciple at Huntsville, but died, 
I think, before an organization was effected. Of 
all those mentioned, W. T. Rutherford is the only 
survivor. 

They worshiped for some years in the court- 
house. Afterwards in the old frame Baptist 
church, until they built the old brick church on 
the south side of the public square. Some years 
afterwards they built the beautiful house in which 
they now worship. 

Of the preachers who served them regularly or 
made them an occasional visit, I remember Elders 
Allen Wright, Joel H. Haden, Jacob Creath, Jere 
Lancaster, Thomas M. Allen, Marcus P. Wills, 
JSToah W. Miller, Henry Thomas, Samuel S. 



130 THE CHEISTIA.N CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

Cliurcli, Dr. Winthrop H. Hopson, D. P. Hender- 
son and President James Shannon. Of these 
brothers Creath,'^ Henderson and Hopson still sur- 
vive. 

The eloquent and gifted William Henry Robin- 
son was also at one time their preacher. The con- 
gregation has neyer been a very large one, but 
there have been for many years a number of most 
excellent disciples there. Huntsville has always 
had a warm place in my heart. My father resided 
there for a few months when he first came to the 
State, and after I grew up I attended school there 
and was also the assistant teacher in their school 
for several sessions. 

While at school there we organized a prayer- 
meeting in the old Baptist church. Captain John 
J. Allen (already mentioned as a member of the 
church at Dover), then county clerk, agreed to pre- 
side and read a chapter. Charlie Schaeifer, a 
good Baptist ; Luther T. Collier and Franklin 
Hord, Presbyterians, and Captain Thomas B. Eeed 
and myself, members of the Christian Church, 
agreed to take part. Abe McKinney, a prominent 
attorney, also a member of the church, agreed to 
participate. The meeting was kept up through 
one winter and was, I think, exceedingly interest- 
ing and profitable to all who attended. 

*i^ow deceased. 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 131 
JACKSONVILLE. 

Tlie next congregation organized in tlie county 
was in the neigliborliood of Jacksonville, and is 
now the Jacksonville congregation. An old min- 
ister, Elder Ben Poulson, and old brother '' Billy" 
McCann, father of Wade and William, Jr., had 
lived in that neighborhood a number of years be- 
fore any attempt was made to organize. They 
had sowed the good seed of the kingdom, and 
some one, I do not now remember who, came and 
planted a church. They soon erected a frame 
meeting-house and gathered quite a good congre- 
gation. 

About thirty years ago, and very soon after I 
commenced preaching, I was passing through on 
my way to old Bloomington. I sent an appoint- 
ment to preach for them one evening. Though the 
weather was storm^^, quite a good congregation 
turned out. My theme was " The Good Confes- 
sion ;" the last point in the discourse was, "That 
all must make this confession, either in this life 
or at the bar of judgment," for " every knee shall 
bow and every tongue shall confess." There were 
in the congregation several persons who had come 
from the Baptists, and who had been baptized on 
the relation of their experience. They were 
greatly disturbed by the discourse. I went home 
with my old friend and brother, William J. Cave, 
who then resided in the neighborhood. The next 



132 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH liS" MISSOURI. 

morning before I arose, a delegate from these 
"bretliren waited on me to ask " if they ought now 
to make the confession and be baptized?" I said 
to him, " If, in the relation of your experience, you 
did in any way declare your faith in Christ, then 
you need not confess him again." He said, " Will 
you write that down ?" I did so, and he took it 
to them. I afterwards learned that they were all 
re-baptized. 

The next congregation organized was in the vi- 
cinity of Cairo, but whether it is still in existence 
or not I cannot say. Brothers Featherston and 
Lampton, I think, organized this congregation in 
the commencement of their ministry. 

There was, many years ago, a little congrega- 
tion on what is called Dark's Prairie, in the north- 
western part of the county. I think it is dis- 
banded ; I have not heard of it for years. 

Another congregation was organized and main- 
tained an existence for some years at Roanoak. 
Brother Pressley HoUey and family were members 
there, and brother Noah W. Miller was its pastor. 
Of its present condition I am not advised. 

Moberly congregation was next organized. Its 
membership at the beginning was largely made 
up of persons who had been members at Antioch : 
The Guy family, the Coates family. Grimes family 
and Robards family, Thomas B. White and oth- 
ers, all of whom are from Antioch. The congrega- 



HISTOEICAL AXD EICGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 133 

tion is now. I suppose, by far tlie largest in tlie 
county. 

There is also a congregation in the southeastern 
part of the county, midway between Moberly and 
Middle Groye. There is also a congregation at 
Renick, organized perhaps before the one at Mo- 
berly, but of its earlier history I cannot write, as it 
was built after my removal from that section of 
the country. I think they maintain their organi- 
zation and haye regular services, but of their con- 
dition I am not advised. 

I have now written of every congregation in 
Kandolph county, and perhaps much more fully of 
some of them than I shall of those to be men- 
tioned hereafter. 

Some of the preachers mentioned as serving 
these congregations will be noticed when I come 
to write of the counties in which they reside. It 
would be exceedingly interesting to know the in- 
ner history of these churches, in order to discover 
the real progress which has been made. It is true 
of all the preachers and churches of whom I have 
written, that they were very largely influenced in 
their views of church life and church discipline by 
the Baptist churches, out of which most of the 
ministers came. While theoretically holding that 
the disciples should meet together on the first day 
of the week, they practically ignored their teach- 
ings by having preaching once a month. While 
they insisted that in primitive times the disciples 



134 THE CHRISTIAlSr CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

met together on the first day of the week to break 
bread, they practically ignored the teaching by 
coming together to break bread only when they 
had preaching. 

Of the preachers mentioned as serving the 
church at Jacksonville, I have ^ mentioned Elder 
Benjamin Poulson. I am of the opinion that 
there was no organization effected in his neighbor- 
hood during his lifetime, but it was doubtless 
through his preaching and influence that the seed 
was sown which sprung up and grew into a church. 
Of the early life of this good man I have no in- 
formation whatever. He came to Missouri several 
years after my father did and settled in the neigh- 
borhood of the present village of Jacksonville. 
He was a farmer, a plain man, of good common 
sense, and excellent Christian character. Here he 
raised a large family of children. One of his sons 
is, or was the last time I was there, probate judge 
in Huntsville, Missouri. This son married the 
daughter of Dr. Frederick Burckhart, deceased. 
She is a niece of Judge G-eorge H. Burckhart, the 
popular circuit judge of the 12th judicial circuit. 
They are both worthy members of the Christian 
Church. 

Of the other members of the Poulson family I 
cannot speak particularly. 

Of the deceased preachers who served the 
church at Huntsville, was Elder Noah "W". Miller. 
He was born I think, in Callaway county, Mis- 



HISTORICAL AJ^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 135 

souri ; raised on tlie farm, and enjoyed the fate of 
most farmer lads in Missouri at the time of which 
I write. For the greater part of the year he la- 
bored diligently on his father's farm ; a little while 
during the winter months he attended such coun- 
try schools as were accessible. He was raised un- 
der the teaching and preaching of that venerable 
servant of God, Elder Absalom E-ice, so recently 
passed away. He became a member of the 
church when quite a young man, and very soon 
thereafter determined to qualify himself for the 
ministry. His father being in only moderate cir- 
cumstances, he must provide himself with the nec- 
essary means. I have heard him say that he split 
rails on the day before his departure for Bethany 
College, in which he graduated after attending 
some three or four years. When he came home 
he immediately commenced preaching. He was 
about five feet, ten and a half inches high, weigh- 
ing perhaps one hundred and forty-five pounds ; 
was somewhat angular and a little stooped. He 
had black eyes, dark hair and dark complexion. 
He had a strong, clear voice, and was indeed a 
forcible speaker. He was logical and clear in his 
discourses, and was not without power as an ex- 
horter. 

In that day very few men were supported as 
ministers for their entire time. Brother Miller 
therefore gave himself to school teaching. He 
tauo-ht what was called " The Silver Creek 



'c 



136 THE CHEISTIAN CHUKCH IN MISSOURI. 

Academy," in Randolph county, and was one of 
the most successful teachers that ever taught in 
the county. He also taught at " Elm Ridge," in 
Howard county. All the young men of that sec- 
tion enjoyed the benefit of his instructions and 
many pupils from a distance attended. He also 
taught a select school at Independence, Missouri, 
which was one of the most popular young schools 
in all that section of the State. 

During all these years of teaching, he continued 
to preach regularly on Saturdays and Lord's 
days, going considerable distance to reach his ap- 
pointments. He preached at Huntsville, Dover or 
Higbee, and Roanoak in Randolph county; at 
many points in Howard, Boone and Callaway, and 
after his removal to Independence he preached for 
the churches in that section of country, extending 
his visits to Pleasant Hill and Harrisonville, in 
Cass county, Missouri. 

While living at Independence he was married to 
Miss Bell Shanks, the step-daughter of that vener- 
able man of God, Elder F. R. Palmer, of whom I 
shall have occasion to speak hereafter. 

With such constant labor in the school-room 
and in the pulpit, Bro. Miller's health soon began 
to fail him.. He became thin and exceedingly 
nervous, but being a man of great energy and de- 
termination, and exceedingly zealous for the cause 
of Christianity, he continued to preach constantly. 
On a visit to Pleasant Hill or Harrisonville, prob 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 137 

ably the latter place, lie preached at night, and 
afterwards had a severe attack of neuralgia. 
Chloroform was administered to relieve his intense 
agony, and to the horror of his young wife and his 
many brethren, he died while under its influence. 
Cut down in the early years of a most active 
life — both as teacher and preacher — he went to 
his grave honored and loved by his brethren, re- 
spected by all the people wherever he was 
known, gratefully remembered by all his pupils 
and sincerely mourned by a host of brethren and 
friends. He left a wife and one boy. His wife, 
now Mrs. Higby, resides somewhere in Texas. Of 
the whereabouts of his boy, Eugene, I have no 
knowledge, but the prayers and good wishes of his 
father's friends go with him wherever he is. No 
young, minister among the disciples gave greater 
promise of usefulness than did the lamented Noah 
Miller. 



138 THE CHEISTIAN. CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 



CHAPTER m. 

BOOIS^E COUNTY. 

The first church organized in this county was 
called "Eed Top," a country church, situated some 
twelve miles ^aorth of Columbia. The church was 
organized on the fifth day of October, 1822, with 
William Roberts, Thomas W. McBride, and Rich- 
ard Cave as elders. The deacons were Nathan 
Roberts and Isaac Lewis ; the total membership 
was fifteen, the sisters being in the majority. Even 
at the early date of their organization, now nearly 
sixty-two years ago, they resolved to take the 
Bible alone as their guide in private and in church 
life. The church has maintained its existence 
from the date of its organization to the present, 
and has now a membership of about three hun- 
dred and fifty. Its first preachers were Elders 
Thomas W. McBride, Richmond T. Roberts, Joel 
H. Haden, Marcus P. Wills and Thomas M. Allen. 

"Bear Creek Church," situated some three or 
four miles north of Columbia, and now called An- 
tioch, was the next congregation organized. The 
congregation was organized on the 6th day of 
June, 1824. Hon. Jesse Boulton, to whom I am in- 
debted for these facts, says : " As a curiosity I 
give you a copy of the record verbatim : 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 139 

"June 6, 1824, we the undersigned subscribers 
being called upon to Examine in to the faith and 
ability of the Brethren living on and near Bear 
Creek (north of Columbia) desiring to be constitu- 
ted, we find them in our opinion sound in the 
faith, and posessing the abilities of keeping in or- 
der the house of God. We have therefore pro- 
nounced them a church of Jesus Christ, under no 
other discipline or Eule of faith and Practice but 
the old and new Testament, professing at the same 
time to have charity enough as a church to let 
each other judge of the doctrines contained in the 
Scriptures for ourselves. Given under our hands 
who are Elders and have Constituted the under 
signed names. Elders present. 

Thomas McBride. 
William Roberts 
John M. Thomas. 
" Assigned the day and date above." 

Elder Richard Cave, whose name is mentioned 
in connection with the organization at Red Top, 
had been preaching to them in thoir scattered con- 
dition some two years prior to this organization. 
After their organization their early preachers were 
Elders Richard Cave, Thomas W. McBride, Mar- 
cus P. Wills and Thomas M. Allen. 

The organization was composed of sixteen per- 
sons. It has kept up its organization through all 
the years. The old meeting-house still stands, 



140 THE CHEISTIA]^ CHUECH Ii:^ MISSOUEI. 

but, as already said, they have built a new meet- 
ing-house and changed the name. They now have 
a good congregation. Bro. Boulton says : " Bear 
Creek meeting-house stands within one quarter of 
a mile from the southwest corner of my farm, and 
when I see the old dilapidated building, I remem- 
ber that within those walls Barton W. Stone 
preached his last sermon on earth." 

I have not in my possession the names of the 
ministers who have served them, but I remember 
when a student at Columbia that all the promi- 
nent preachers who visited Columbia also visited 
Bear Creek, and that all the students who were 
studying with a view to the ministry, 'practiced on 
the good brethren at Bear Creek. Among these 
were James A. Meng, James Harmon, Joseph 
Rogers, L. B. Wilkes and the writer of these 
pages. 

Among the prominent members at Bear Creek in 
an early day, I remember distinctly brother Levi 
Smith (father-in-law of Hon. Jesse Boulton) and 
wife, Sister Lenoir and family, Hon. Archie 
Turner, Samuel Spence, Sr., and Judge Persinger. 
All of these have passed over the river, but they 
have left children who are wortliy representatives 
of worthy parents. 

Tlie church in Columbia, by far the most prom- 
inent church in the county, was organized in the 
year 1832, with only six members on the list. 
The church grew rapidly from the beginning, and 



HISTOEICAL A:N^D BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 141 

after the location of the State University there a 
great many prominent and influential brethren 
were attracted by the facilities afforded for the ed- 
ucation of their children. The brethren in that 
vicinity from the beginning and throughout its en- 
tire history have been interested in its manage- 
ment, and a number of them have been honored 
with places on the board and in the faculty of in- 
struction. After some years Christian College was 
founded, that young ladies might enjoy equally 
with the young men the facilities for a liberal ed- 
ucation. This college was from its founding man- 
aged by a board of trustees, a majority of whom 
have been members of the Church of Christ, and 
the local managers members of the church in Col- 
umbia. Columbia church has for many years en- 
joyed the labors of regular pastors, some of whom 
have been the most distinguished men among us. 
She has often entertained the State Meeting, and 
has ever been in the front rank in all the benevo- 
lent work in this State. She now numbers more 
than four hundred member 

The early preachers at Columbia were Elders 
Richard Cave, Marcus P. Wills and Thomas M. 
Allen, all of whom died in Boone county. 

Rocheport church was organized in the year 
1837, by Thomas M. Allen. In the journal of 
Elder Thomas M. Allen, kindly furnished me by 
Ms son. Colonel W. H. Allen, I find the following 



142 THE CHKISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

minute : '' October 7tli. I went to Rocheport and 
met Brothers Thomas McBride, James McBride 
and Joel Prewitt. Brothers Prewitt, James McBride, 
myself and Thomas McBride preached to-day in 
the order we are named. 8tli. Second Lord's day. 
Old Brother McBride and I preached to a very 
large congregation to-day. After preaching we 
planted a Church of Jesus Christ with thirty-four 
members." Brother and Sister "Wheeler and Mrs. 
Ellen Dale, mother of Mrs. Gr. W. Morehead, better 
known as Mrs. Gen'l Easton, and Mrs. Wood were 
among the early members of the congregation. 
Mrs. M. sends me \hQ following interesting inci- 
dents connected with the early history of the 
church : " Before the brethren had a house of 
worship in Rocheport, I remember to have heard 
Brother Thomas M. Allen preach in a small frame 
house near the river which was used as a carpen- 
ter's shop, and served us as a town hall. The peo- 
ple came in crowds to hear him, and there was 
sometimes sharp contention outside as to who 
should occupy a place at the windows. Fleming 
Dale essayed to jump in one and hold a seat 
there, but just as he was thinking of his great 
victory over his discomfited comrades, Bro. Allen, 
in a clear, loud voice, said : ' Verily, verily I say 
unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the 
eheep-fold, but climbeth up some other waj^, the 
same is a thief and a robber.' Dale was a kins- 
man of mine, and I have heard him say that he 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. SKETCHES. 148 

never resigned a seat so quickly and cherfully in 
all Ms life before. 

"In the same town, after this, Brother Allen 
held a meeting and had about thirty candidates to 
baptize, the treacherous Missouri river to be the 
baptistery. It was in March. The snow was com- 
ing down in large flakes. Brother Allen led 
Henry Williams into the water; just as his hand 
was raised they both began to sink in the quick- 
sand. The candidate was so much excited that he 
did not let his head go under the water, where- 
upon Brother Allen, with cool deliberation, re- 
leased his left hand and with it buried the head 
and body of the subject. They made their way to 
the shore, Avhen Brother Allen said : ' Let him that 
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.' 
He adjourned then to the Moniteau, east of town, 
where all were baptized decently and in order. 

"An aunt of mine, who lived in Cooper county ^ 
whose family were all Baptists except my mother, 
often came over to hear Brother Allen. Returning 
to her home, she would search the Scriptures to see 
if the things spoken by him were true. She finally 
wrote to him to meet her in Rocheport a certain 
day to baptize her into Christ, which he did. She 
afterwards married Nathan Cutler. He had been 
raised by pious parents — Methodists. He heard 
Macus P. Wills preach ; he believed and was im- 
mersed. This grieved his parents as much as if 
they had laid him in his grave, but husband an^ 



144 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN^ MISSOURI. 

wife are still true to tlie faith and to each other. 
They now live in Yacaville, California. 

" Joel Prewitt had an appointment to preach in 
Rocheport, but failed to get there in time. 
Thomas Campbell, a pioneer old Baptist preacher, 
was there to see and hear this wonderful man ; so 
he was invited to preach ; he introduced himself 
by saying : ' I'm not Alexander Campbell, but old 
Tom. Alexander has found out a new road to 
heaven, fifteen hundred miles nearer than the old 
road ; but old Tom prefers the old road ; he knows 
every stump in it. Ah!' At this juncture Bro. 
Prewitt entered, when the speaker said, 'But 
here's Bro. Prewitt, ah, perhaps he can entertain 
you better than I can, so I add no more." 

The congregation at Rocheport has maintained 
its footing through all the years, having been 
served by nearly all the prominent preachers in 
that section of the State. For some years it has 
had a resident minister, who spends most of his 
time laboring in their midst. Brother McAllister 
is their minister at present. 

Friendship church, seven miles north of Colum- 
bia, was organized in 1837, with nine members, 
brothers Marcus P. Wills and Thomas M. Allen 
being the first preachers. There are no records at 
my command which give the order in which the 
ministers served this congregation, but they have 
enjoyed the services of the two named above, with 
D. P. Henderson, President James Shannon, James 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 145 

A. Berry and others. They have, I think, been 
able to keep the ordinances through all the years 
and are still in prosperous condition. 

Of the congregations in Boone county formed 
since the war, I recall Centralia, Sturgeon and 
Ashland. I have no data as to their organization, 
nor of the ministers who have served them. I 
would be glad to present a brief account of them 
in these pages but have not been furnished with 
the necessary material. 

Elder Thomas McBride, whose name has been 
mentioned so frequently already, came from Madi- 
son county, Kentucky, to Boone county, in 1816. 
He was, I think, from the best information I can 
gather, the first advocate of primitive Christianity 
in the State of Missouri. In my childhood no 
name was more familiar among the disciples than 
that of Thomas McBride. He preached in Mis- 
souri first among the Baptists and was among the 
first to advocate reform. In addition to his labors 
in Boone county he is mentioned in connection 
with the early churches of Callaway, Howard, 
Monroe, Randolph, Cooper, Saline and LaFayette. 
He was a " tall, fine looking man of splendid ap- 
pearance." I know nothing of his peculiarities 
as a preacher, but he must have been a man of 
^are powers to impress himself as he did upon all 
the preachers and churches in an early day. He 
labored in Missouri for about thirty years and 
then removed with his children to Oregon, where 

10 



146 THE CHEISTIAJS" CHUECH 1^ MISSOURI. 

he lived to see one of Ms grandsons Governor of 
the State and a member of Congress. I have no 
information concerning his last days. 

Marcns P. Wills came to Missouri at a very 
early day and settled on a farm in Boone county. 
He came from Southern Kentucky, where he had 
preached [successfully among the people then 
called " New Lights." He was about five feet, 
nine inches in height, heavy set, and weighed 
about one hundred and seventy-five pounds. He 
had light hair, blue or grey eyes and florid com- 
plexion. He was a clear, forcible speaker, had a 
fine voice ; his sermons were scriptural and logical 
and he had great power as an exhorter, and 
moved the people with his pathos and tenderness 

He preached for the churches in Boone, Calla- 
way and Howard counties, in school-houses and in 
private houses, in barns and in groves, and pre- 
pared the way for the organization of many of the 
churches which have since come into prominence 
The congregations at Red Top, Columbia, Friend- 
ship, and others, enjoyed his labors and loved him 
tenderly. Great numbers were baptized under his 
ministry. He visited the church at Huntsville, 
Missouri, while the writer was attending school 
there and preparing himself for the study of the 
law. ^ On one occasion he said to me : " My son, 
if you have the ability to plead the law you have 
the ability to preach the gospel." This remark 
had as much to do in turning my attention to 




A 7-r-;^^ 

y.:^^ 



'^^ 



HISTORICAL A:SI) BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 147 

wards the ministry as anything else, and the more 
I thought about it the more I felt it to be my duty 
to preach the gospel, till the decision was finally 
made. Subsequently I visited him at his home, 
and he confirmed my decision and gave me much 
wholesome advice. He afterwards wrote me, and 
he and Brother Henderson induced me to attend 
the University under the presidency of that prince 
of men, James Shannon. I thank God that he 
showed me " the more excellent way." 

About this time he removed with his family to 
Callaway county and settled near Fulton, where, 
in the year 1853, I think, he passed away in the 
blessed hope of immortality. His family con- 
sisted, I think, of two sons and several daughters, 
some of whom still reside in that section of coun- 
try. His son, Elijah Allen, began to preach some 
when quite young, but afterwards studied medi- 
cine, and is now a practicing physician some 
where in the southern part of the State. 

Elder Thomas M. Allen came from Fayette 
county, Kentucky, to Boone county, Missouri, in 
the fall of 1836, and settled on a farm, on what 
is now called the Two Mile Prairie. He was at 
this time about thirty -nine years of age. He had 
been for a number of years a prominent preacher 
in the section of country from which he came. His 
coming to Missouri was an epoch in the history 
of the few struggling churches in the State. He 
was about six feet in height and weighed about 



148 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

one handred and seventy-five or eighty pounds ; 
he had a most commanding person, and a good 
voice. His hair was dark and his complexion 
somewhat sallow ; he always dressed with 
faultless taste, and impressed all who met him as 
a most accomplished gentleman. He had a good 
English education, and spoke and wrote his ver- 
nacular correctly. He had a fine command of lan- 
guage and was never at a loss for a word. He 
was by far the most accomplished and popular 
minister in all that section of the State. He mar- 
ried in Kentucky, Miss Rebecca Russell, a daugh- 
ter of General Russell, a prominent citizen of Fay- 
ette county. He possessed a fine estate and owned 
one of the finest farms in the county. His elegant 
country home, Ellerslie, was celebrated throughout 
the State for the princely hospitality which he and 
his elegant wife dispensed. His liberal education, 
his eminent social qualities and his ample fortune 
gave him access at once to the best families of the 
State and made him the intimate and valued 
friend and associate of the most prominent men in 
Missouri. While he never aspired to any office, 
he always felt and manifested a deep interest in 
politics, both State and national. He was fre- 
quently urged by his party friends of the old 
Whig party to become a candidate for Governor of 
the State, and at one time he declined an appoint- 
ment to Congress to fill an unexpired term. I 



HISTORICAL AJS-D BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 149 

have heard him say it was a great temptation, but 
he concluded that it might impair his influence as 
a minister of the gospel, and would he setting a 
bad example to the young preachers of his church. 
He was an intimate friend of Alexander Campbell 
and a staunch supporter of Bethany College. The 
old files of the Millennial Harbinger^ published 
at Bethany, Virginia, will show that scarcely a 
month passed by in his long ministry that he did 
not write to Mr. Campbell, either in the interests 
of Bethany College or to report his meetings or 
those of his brethren, or to report an obituary no- 
tice of some friend or brother or sister. 

Both of Mr. Campbell's early visits to Missouri 
were at his instigation, and he was accompanied 
by him from the time he entered the State until he 
departed. He also contributed liberally of his 
funds to the endowment fund of Bethany College. 
His devotion to the college grew out of his desire 
to see the churches supplied with an educated 
ministry. He was one of the committee to select 
the first young man, Alexander Procter, to be ed- 
ucated at Bethany College. His interest in the 
college never abated, and no man rejoiced more 
than he did in the success of the many young men 
who came out of Bethany College to preach the 
gospel in Missouri. 

He was also one of the earliest and truest 
friends of Missouri University, located at Colum- 



150 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IIS^ MISSOURI. 

bia. To his life-long and greatly beloved friend 
the Hon. James S. Eollins, of Columbia, and to 
Thomas M. Allen himself, more than to any other 
two men in Missouri, are we indebted for that 
magnificent institutution, which has done and is 
still doing so much for Missouri's sons and daugh- 
ters. He was ever, under all administrations and 
in the midst of its sorest trials, its staunch friend, 
not only working at home, but in the halls of leg- 
islation for its benefit. He was always in favor of 
the most liberal policy upon the part of the State 
in its support. He was honored again and again 
by being appointed one of its curators and Pres- 
ident of the Board, and was zealous in its defense 
and always had words of encouragement for its 
faculty and students. More frequently than any 
other minister in the State, was he the chaplain on 
public occasions. It was the joy of his declining 
years that he had lived to see it placed on a 
broad basis for usefulness and in such position as 
to command a liberal support from the Legisla- 
ture. Multitudes of gentlemen are proud to re- 
cognize the fact that they owe him a debt of grati- 
tude for his unselfish labors in behalf of their be- 
loved alma mater. 

He was one of the first advocates for equal ed- 
ucational facilities for the young women of Mis 
souri, and long before it was the policy of the 
University to admit young ladies to its classes, he. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, 151 

with Ms brother and co-laborer, Elder D. P. Hen- 
derson, of Canton, Missouri, with other gentlemen 
of the county and State, founded that admirable 
institution. Christian College, from whose halls 
have gone out a great company of the most bril- 
liant women of Missouri and the adjoining States. 
He gave it his means and wonderful influence, and 
was from its founding to the time of his death 
almost continuously one of its Board of Trustees. 
After the late war his loving heart was touched 
by the cry of orphanage, which came up from all 
parts of his adopted State, and he, with others of 
his brethren, determined to establish a Female 
Orphan School, in which the orphan girls of Mis- 
souri might be educated without money and with- 
out price; hence, in Columbia, in the year 1868, 
and upon his motion, the State Meeting resolved 
to establish such a school. He, A. Procter, and 
A. B. Jones were appointed a committee to select 
a location, procure a charter, and provide for its 
establishment. Under his advice and under his 
personal supervision Camden Point, in Platte 
county, was selected, the school property there 
purchased, and a school opened, which has been 
in successful operation now for fifteen years. 
More than fifteen hundred young ladies have en- 
joyed its benefits, and already a great company of 
orphan girls have gone out from its walls graduates 
and accomplished women, and are now filling ini- 



152 THE CHEISEIAJ^ CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

portant places in society. His lovely and accom- 
plished daughter, Mrs. Mary Allen, deceased, by 
her will became the largest donor to its funds. 
Her portrait hangs in the library, and the oldest 
literary society of the institution is named in 
honor of her, " The Mary Allen Institute." 

I have thus very briefly and imperfectly 
sketched his conneotion with institutions of learn- 
ing, but eternity alone will reveal the good which 
shall result from his labor in this direction. 

Elder Allen was a successful business man and 
all his life a successful farmer. Notwithstanding 
the fact that he was much of his time from home 
and deeply absorbed in the work of the church, he 
found time to superintend his farm and to make a 
most ample support for his large family of both 
white and black persons. 

It was generally known among the people that 
he owned a fine farm, a number of servants, and 
was in comfortable circumstances, and they there- 
fore paid him nothing for his services as a minis- 
ter. He was on this account compelled to look 
carefully after his business, and even up to the 
time of his death he was actively engaged in bus- 
iness, as well as untiring in his labors as a minis- 
ter of the Word. It was proverbial that he rode 
the best horse and had the finest cattle and hogs 
in the country. 

While he was a slave owner, he was a most hu- 
mane one, and cared for his servants as parts of 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 153 

Ms own family. In reading over his journal I find 
that some of them are mentioned on almost every 
page ; the birth of their children, their sickness, 
death and burial, and always some expression of 
the tenderest sympathy. As an evidence of the 
kindly relations between them, I mention the fact 
that the most of them remained in his employ 
after they were freed, and all of them continued to 
be objects of his care. They were his nurses dur- 
ing Ms last illness and mourners at his funeral. 

I have not at my command the facts concerning 
the early life and education of Elder Thomas M. 
Allen. He was born in Yirginia, in the year 1797, 
and grew up to manhood in his native State. All 
who knew him will remember that he had a crip- 
pled arm and hand. When he was a young man. 
he was riding on horseback, accompanied by a 
young lady friend, through a forest. There came 
up suddenly a fearful storm of wind and thunder 
and lightning. The lightning struck a tree directly 
over their heads, shattering the tree, which fell 
on them, killing instantly the young lady and the 
horse on which he rode, and crippling his arm. 
He was not then a Christian, and I have heard him 
say that this circumstance led him to serious reflec- 
tion. 

He came from Yirginia to Kentucky, intending 
to practice law, and did open an office somewhere 
in Indiana, and practiced for a time. I have no 
information as to how he happened to abandon the 



154 THE CHRISTIAN" CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

law and enter the ministry; but from his journal 
I find that as early as the year 1826 he was ac- 
tively engaged in the ministry, associated with B. 
W. Stone, F. R. Palmer, Joel H. Haden, and 
others, who were then called ^' New Lights." In 
his journal for 1827, I find the following minute, 
February 10th and 11th: "The brethren named 
me to write a letter to Conference." And Feb- 
ruary 30th, this minute : "I met the elders and 
brethren in conference at Indicott's meeting-house, 
Harrison county, Kentucky. There were a num- 
ber of elders and brethren present. I was chosen 
olerk. The letters from many of the churches 
gave us pleasing intelligence of the revival of 
God's work in the land. Some had in a short time 
received thirty, some twenty, some eighteen, etc. 
31st. Met in conference at nine o'clock to attend 
to business and appointed our next Conference to 
be the Friday before the first Lord's day in Sep- 
tember, at Republican, in Fayette county. Elder 
T. Smith, M. G-ardner, (from Ohio), and L. Fleming 
preached to-day. 

"Met at an early hour for worship. Elders 
G-ardner and Stone preached, when Elder Palmer 
administered the Lord's supper, which was truly a 
feast to a vast number of brethren and sisters. In 
the afternoon I spoke to the congregation. Met 
at nine o'clock this morning. Elders John Long- 
ley and M. Gardner preached. This was a solemn 
time. Many came forward to be prayed for. We 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 155 

parted for our respective homes about two o'clock, 
after having for several days enjoyed sweet com- 
munion with the Father and his Son and one an- 
other. 

This passage from his journal makes it mani- 
fest that these men were not yet " out of the mists 
of sectarianism." They were still holding " con- 
ferences " and having many to come *' forward to 
be prayed for," and yet they had made consider- 
able progress towards the " ancient order of 
things," as is witnessed in the following minute 
from the same journal. '' 3fay 22^ 1827. I dined 
to-day with old Brother Thomas Allen, who has 
been a professor of religion for about fifty years, 
but never united with any society until he had an 
opportunity of uniting with one who rejected 
party names and party creeds. He is now a mem- 
ber of the Christian Church at Mud Meeting- 
house." 

Again when he organized a church at a school- 
house near Brother Giltner's, in Bourbon county, 
which is now called Antioch, he required the mem- 
bers to subscribe to the following : " We, the un- 
dersigned, agree to unite together as a Church of 
Christ, taking his word as the only rule of our 
faith and practice, and the name Christian as that 
by which to be called. Done the 26th day of May, 
1827. T. M. Allex, E. C. C." 

In his journal of July 7th, is the following 



156 THE CHRISTIAK CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

minute : " Met the church at Union with Brother 
Stone, and had a good meeting. This evening sev- 
eral of us went to Brother T. Ware's. A young 
man by the name of John Gano, Miss Cassandra 
Ware and Miss Mary A. Conn professed religion. 
;N'ever did I see such a meeting as this was for the 
number. Every one present was either rejoicing in 
God or weeping and mourning his love to know.'^ 

This young man, John Gano, was the eminent 
evangelist, Elder John A. Gano, who has been so 
distinguished in Kentucky as a successful preacher 
of the gospel. His journal for 1827 closes with 
this minute: ''During the year 1827 I married 
eight couples ; baptized fifty-one persons ; planted 
two churches; one at Antioch, Bourbon county, 
and the other Cynthiana, Harrison county, both 
having increased considerably, and at this time 
are in a very flourishing condition. My family 
have been exceedingly blessed at the hands of 
God with good health and supplied with the com- 
forts and blessings of life. I have preached con- 
siderably, had many joyful moments, and feel 
thankful to Almighty God for the past favors, and 
now I commit myself, wife and children and 
friends into his fatherly care and humbly suppli- 
cate his continued blessings and pray him for 
grace that our subsequent lives may be devoted to 
the service of God, that we may live in peace, die 
happy and be happy forever." 

As has been stated, at this time he was not con- 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 157 

nected with what is now known as the "Reforma- 
tion," but with the "New Lights." The first in- 
timation of sympathy with those called then 
" Campbellites " is found in the following minute 
in his journal : 

" August IJf,^ 1830. I attended the Baptist As- 
sociation at Silas on the 15th. I preached at An- 
tioch on the 16th. I attended at Silas again and 
saw the Association exert their lawless and unau- 
thorized power over all usage, constitution, prece- 
dent or rule in the exclusion of Brother J. Creath, 
Sr., and J. Creath, Jr., and the churches to which 
they respectively belonged, simply because of 
their opposition to all human creeds and their 
views of gospel liberty. The conduct of the or- 
thodox part of this association convinced me that 
they were actuated by the same spirit that in 
former days planted the stake and lighted the 
fagot. And all they want is the power to incline 
them to the same deeds of violence and outrage 
that have disgraced the dark ages of the world." 
And again November 15th : " Went to the Great 
Crossings, Scott county, to hear Brother Alexander 
Campbell, of Virginia, preach. He gave a most 
lucid discourse. Heard Mr. Campbell again at 
Bryant Station." 

In his journal for 1831, January 28th and 29th, 
I find the following minute : "I attended a com- 
munion meeting in Paris. Brothers Stone, Pal- 
mer, Rogers, Gano, Irwin, Parker and myself and 



158 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

Brothers John T. Johnson, John Smith and Batson 
attended the meeting. The three last named 
brethren were of the ^^ Reformed Baptists ^'^'^ but 
are now empJiatically CJiristians^ a complete and 
cordial union having taken place in this section of 
country between tJie Christian CJiurcJi and Re- 
former s^ 

In reading his journal it is quite manifest, 
though no mention is made of the fact, that his 
meeting Mr. Campbell and Ms association with 
those ministers who had been "Reformed Bap- 
tists" materially modified his views and teachings. 
We no longer read of persons "professing faith," 
but instead we find the expression, " confessing 
Christ." No more persons " come forward to be 
prayed for," but " come forward to confess their 
faith in Christ." The phrase, "Lord's supper" is 
substituted for "the communion" and "the sac- 
rament ; " and while the " Reformers " accepted 
the name " Christian," the " Christians " accepted 
the " peculiar teachings " of the Reformers. 

He continued most abundant in labors ; on his 
farm, as a member of the county court to which he 
had been elected, and in the ministry in Kentucky 
till the fall of 1836, when, as has already been 
stated, he closed his labors in Kentucky and 
moved with his family to Missouri. 

His journal for 1836 closes as follows : " The 
year 1836 is closed and gone to the years of eter- 
nity. During this year I have married seven 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 159 

couples and immersed seventy-four believers in 
the Lord Jesus. I have removed from my late 
residence in Favette county, Kentucky, to my new 
home on the Two Mile Prairie, in Boone county, 
Missouri. On the 8th of March last we lost our 
second son, Eobert S. Allen, an interesting, 
sprightly child. Yet great has been God's good- 
ness to myself and family, for which I am thank- 
ful and grateful. And now once more I throw my- 
self and family upon the kind care and tender 
mercy of the good Lord." 

Coming to Missouri, he entered the field at once 
as an evangelist, and his journal shows an 
amount of travel and preaching, such as no other 
man in the State of Missouri ever did in the same 
length of time. The wonder is how he endured 
the labor. 

In priva-te houses, in barns, in open groves and 
in court-houses, in the hall of Representatives at 
Jefferson City, and in nearly all the meeting- 
houses of his section of the State was his voice 
heard pleading for truth and righteousness, the 
union of God's children by returning to apostolic 
doctrine and practice, and building on the one 
foundation, which is Jesus Christ. 

To follow his journal and recount his labors 
would be to fill a volume much larger than this, 
and with very great reluctance, therefore, we must 
proceed to close this most imperfect sketch of one 
of the grandest men and one of the most active 



160 THE CHRISTIAJ^ CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

lives that ever lived in our State. He continued 
in active service up to the fall of 1871, when he 
was in his seventy-fourth year. He made a 
preaching tour to the upper counties of the State 
as far as Maryville, in Nodaway county, preach- 
ing almost constantly for several weeks. The 
weather was exceedingly hot, and he was pros- 
trated by an attack of inflammation of his stomach 
and bowels, on his return. He also had a distress- 
ing cough, which he attributed to constant speak- 
ing. His last entries in his journal — 

" October i, 1871. I was very unwell and in 
bed all day. Brother and Sister Hurt and Sister 
Julia Jacobs came to see me in the afternoon, and 
spent a pleasant hour or two with me. This was 
all the company I had to-day, except several of my 
old servants who came. I spent a lonely day, but I 
thank my Heavenly Father for his loving kindness 
and blessings to me. Lord, do help me to be 
humble, thankful and faithful. 

" October '2d. I was unwell and did not go up 
town to-day. 

^^ 3d. I am much better to-day, and was out at 
the building twi(fe ; I went to Christian College in 
the afternoon and met with Lizzie Arnold (his 
niece) when she came home with me and staid all 
night. 

^'' Ittli. I threw up a good deal of blood last 
night, m coughing and some to-day. 

" 5tli. I rode out to the farm by myself. 



HISTORICAL ATTD BIOORAPHICAL SKETCHES. 161 

" At night. Old Ring stood guard for me. 

** 6th. Dry and dusty as ever, thougli it turned 
quite cool in the afternoon. Brother Rogers rode 
out with me to look at my building. He was very 
much pleased with the situation and character of 
the improvements. Our newly elected professor, 
Col. Albert, reached here on the evening train, ac- 
companied by his father-in-law, James Taylor, of 
New Port, Kentucky. All alone at night." 

This was the last entry he ever made in his 
journal and probably the last time he ever had a 
pen in his hand. His son, Col. W. H. Allen, con- 
tinues his journal for a few days as follows : 

" October 7th. My father was in town this 
morning in usual health. In the afternoon, about 
three o'clock, he was taken with a chill 
followed by severe fever. Dr. Lenoir was called 
in and left medicine .to be given during the night. 
He spent a restless night, complaining very much. 

" October 8th. About four o'clock father had 
another chill and high fever. Dr. W. T. Lenoir 
was present morning and evening, when the dis- 
ease began to assume a typhoid shape. Still com- 
plaining of pain in his bowels. 

" October 9th. The doctor called again and 
pronounced my father no better ; still complaining 
constantly. I telegraphed my cousin and adopt- 
ed brother. Dr. T. Allen Arnold, of St. Louis. 
Dr. L. called in the afternoon ; gradually sinking ; 
11 



162 THE CnRISTIAN CHUECH m MISSOURI. 

spent a restless, sleepless night ; suffering very 
much. 

*' October 10th. Doctor called this morning, pro- 
nounced my father not so well ; getting weaker all 
the time. He continued to grow worse, complain- 
ing constantly ; about one o'clock became flighty, 
talked incessantly, and at half past two o'clock 
his spirit calmly, peacefully and without a strug- 
gle passed to the eternal world. Aunt Mary Garth, 
her son James, Drs. Lenoir and McAllister, and 
some others were present. Other friends came in, 
and his lifeless body was soon clothed in a suit of 
black, and looked as natural as life, as if he were 
in a peaceful slumber, as I have often seen him. 

^' October lltli. This was a lonely, sad day. 
Numbers of friends and acquaintances called. My 
father's lifeless body was reposing sweetly, as if in 
a natural sleep. A splendid, metallic coffin was 
brought, in which his body was to rest in the cold, 
silent tomb. Dear, departed father, I believe you 
are reunited with dear ones who have gone before 
you to the spirit land. May I live and act so that 
I may meet you in the realms above. Dr. Thomas 
Allen Arnold, my cousin reached here to-day. 
Dear boy, my father raised and educated him and 
prepared him for usefulness. 

*' October 12tlu About one o'clock the corpse, fol- 
lowed by many friends, was taken to the Chris- 
tian church, where a very appropriate discourse 
was delivered by Elder Alex. Procter, of Indepen- 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 163 

dence, Missouri, after which, on behalf of the cit- 
izen's, Col. W. F. Switzler and Maj. Jas. S. Rollins, 
particular friends of my father, spoke feelingly 
and eloquently on the character of the deceased, 
after which the lid of the casket was removed and 
hundreds passed up the aisle and looked for the 
last time on that benevolent face, soon to be con- 
signed to the tomb till the resurrection morn. Then 
the long line of friends and citizens repaired to 
the cemetery, where the body was consigned to 
the tomb by the side of his first love, my mother, 
and other members of his family. I will here re- 
mark that the funeral exercises were opened by 
prayer by Elder James A. Berry, of Moberly, and 
appropriate remarks by President Joseph K. 
Rogers, of Columbia. His funeral was attended 
by one of the largest crowds ever seen in Colum- 
bia. The proceedings and resolutions of the trus- 
tees of Christian College and the University, of 
which he had long been a member, of the town 
trustees, of the meetings of the citizens, and of 
Boone County Court (which adjourned), show 
the high appreciation of him as a Christian min- 
ister and a citizen. The doors of the business 
houses were closed and Columbia had a sad and 
mournful appearance. But he is gone, and I am 
sure he is with his Maker, whom he served faith- 
fully as a Christian minister for more than fifty 
years. Farewell, dear father. May I endeavor to 
imitate your many virtues. May I do justice, love 



164 THE CHRISTIAI^r CHURCH I^ MISSOURI. 

mercy and walk humbly, and finally meet you 
where '^ the wicked cease from troubling and the 
weary are at rest." 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 165 

CHAPTER lY. 

■ MOI^ROE COUNTY. 

I am indebted to brother E. B. Davis, at that 
time pastor in Paris, for the following interesting 
account of the church there : 

" Paeis, Mo., Januaey 22, 1884. 

"Deae Beotheb Haley: — I have gleaned the 
following facts concerning the Disciples in this 
community. I have relied principally upon Jas. 
E. Abernathy who is the only surviving charter 
member of the Paris congregation. He is now 89 
years old, vigorous and strong for one of his age, 
regular in his attendance upon church worship. 
I can find no records or church register before 
1863, the first having been lost, thus leaving no 
records for thirty years previous to that date. 

"The congregation was organized March 10, 
1833, by Elder Thomas McBride, who was then 
living in Boone county. But six disciples could 
be found within thirty miles of Paris, and they 
agreed to assemble and keep the ordinances, and 
thus was begun the work of restoring to the 
people of Monroe county the primitive church 
without human creeds. The following are the 
names of the charter members : John Shoot and 
wife, Josepl^ Forman and wife, James C. Fox and 



166 THE CHEISTIA]^ CHUKCH IN MISSOUEI. 

James K. Abernatliy. They had as their first 
preacher Marcus P. Wills, and then followed 
Henry Thomas, Alfred Wilson, A. Procter, Peter 
Donan, A. H. Eice, J. W. Mountjoy and H. B. 
Davis. These are the names of all the regular 
preachers since their organization, fifty -one years 
ago. They have never been in a disorganized 
state. I find that 779 names have been registered 
since 1863. The congregation now holds as mem- 
bers something over two hundred. They have 
owned two houses of worship and are now erecting 
the third, which will be completed in the spring, 
at a cost of about ten thousand dollars. They 
have had the pleasure of hearing as preachers 
Thomas M. Allen, Joel H. Haden, Dan'l. McSwain, 
Jacob Creath, Jeremiah Lancaster, D. S. Burnet, 
M. Alexander, father of our Congressman, A. M. 
Alexander, Alexander Campbell, M. E. Lard, D. 
Pat. Henderson, Dr. W. H. Hopson, T. P. Haley, 
the John Smith who wore the coon- skin cap, and 
many others whose names are not just now re- 
membered. Yours truly, 

H. B. Davis." 

The congregation at Paris from its very organi- 
zation was composed of some of the most sub- 
stantial men and women in the county ; indeed, no 
better people could be found among all the good 
people of the State. Among these I cannot refrain 
from mentioning the names of J. C. Fox, better 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 167 

known as Ceplias Fox, now gone to Ms reward. 
Thomas Crutclier, who still lingers with us. 
Braxton Giddings, Granville Snell (also deceased). 
These men and others, with their good wives, bore 
the heat and burden of the day_, when indeed there 
were few to bear them. They supported the cause, 
entertained the preachers and made their homes 
renowned all over the State for their generous hos- 
pitality. It will be seen that in more than fifty 
years they had only seven regular preachers. 
This was not because their preachers were better 
men or more brilliant than others, but because the 
church stood by them, even with their faults. 
There is no better indication of a wise administra- 
tion of church affairs than permanency in the pas- 
toral relation. ^ 

Another fact is prominent in the history of the 
Paris church. No enterprise of the brotherhood 
of the State was ever neglected by them. It will 
be found that they contributed of their means to 
Eethany College, Christian University, to the 
Orphan School, and to every appeal made to them 
in the name of the cause they responded. I must 
mention specially the generosity of brother Fox 
as it came under my observation. On a visit of 
Brother Erret t to Paris in the interest of the 
Orphan School he agreed to give the school $1,000 
at his death. Subsequently, as a member of the 
Board, he made a visit to the school and was so 
impressed that on his return he enclosed me his 



168 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOUEI. 

check for tlie one tliousand dollars, saying, that in 
that matter he proposed to he his own executor, 
and that the school needed the money at that 
time as much or more than it ever would in the 
future. When the church in Shelbina built their 
house of worship, they were compelled to borrow a 
sum, say one thousand dollars, to make their last 
payment. Brother Fox loaned it to them. They 
allowed the matter to run on, not even paying the 
interest. At the death of brother Fox they were 
greatly disturbed and expected to see their prop- 
erty sold, but when the good man's will was 
found it was ascertained that he had forgiven 
them the debt. Now and then his old friends who 
had been unfortunate would be remembered in a 
remittance with affectionate words. 'No wonder 
the Paris church has been a grand church with 
even one such man in it. And yet what I have 
said of Cephas Fox might he said of others of that 
church, who always did according to their ability. 
The church at Berea was perhaps the next one 
organized in the county. It was northeast of 
Paris, not far from the old State road leading from 
Paris to Hannibal. Among the early names there 
I recall the Raglands, the Sidenors, Smiths, etc. 
This congregation enjoyed the labors of nearly all 
the preachers who labbred in Paris, and especially 
of Martin Sidenor, whose name has already been 
mentioned. In the many changes that have taken 
place in the thirty years since I was with them I 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 169 

do not know how they have fared, but I am quite 
sure the men and women whom I met there in an 
early day did not desert the cause. 

Santa Fee Church was perhaps next in order^ 
and was from the time of its organization an ex- 
cellent and influential organization. It has main- 
tained its existence through all the years and 
has grown to be regarded as one of the very best 
congregations in the State. 

Among the early members there I recall the 
names of the Bybees, the Bridgefords and the 
Bavises. They have enjoyed the labors of Henry 
Thomas, Alfred Wilson, John A. Brooks, and 
others. 

Middle Grove, in the western part of the 
county, was probably the next congregation 
planted in Monroe. Indeed it was a strong con- 
gregation from my earliest recollection. It was 
situated in a good country and composed of most 
excellent and substantial people. 

Among the early members I recall the names 
of the Reeds, Featherstons, Dulaneys, Snells, 
Bassetts, Conyers, etc., etc. Middle Grove church 
was remarkable in an early day for the large 
audiences that gathered there, the great number 
of young people and the good congregational 
singing. It was not unusual in the summer sea- 
son for the crowd to be so great that an arbor 
of trees and brush had to be constructed out- 
side, while the preacher stood in the door preach- 



170 THE CHEISTIAIT CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

Ing to those within and without. Among the 
preachers who served them in an early day were 
William Reed and Thomas Thompson, already 
mentioned^ Martin Sidenor, Henry Thomas, Alfred 
Wilson. Jacob Creath and D. P. Henderson held 
great meetings there in 1854, when Rev. Peter 
Donan, of the Presbyterian Church renounced 
Presbyterianism and accepted 'New Testament 
Christianity. Many other great meetings were 
held there. They have maintained their organiza- 
tion from the beginning and have always I think, 
been supplied with regular preaching. 

The next congregation organized was at Madi- 
son. I do not know the date of its organization, 
but as early as 1848 a great meeting was held by 
Elder Henry Thomas just west of the town. I have 
an impression, however, that the church had been 
founded at an earlier day. About the year 1850 
they built a frame house in the town, the first 
house in which I ever saw an elevated floor from 
the pulpit back. Unlike the modern fashionable 
house, the pulpit was between the doors, and the 
floor instead of rising gradually was raised in sec- 
tions ; the first ten feet, say, on a level, and then 
a rise of two feet, and then a ten foot level, and 
so on till the rear was reached. 

I recall the names of the Dawsons, the Groves, 
the Ferrells, the Davises, the Eubanks, the Wood- 
wards and the Cunninghams, who were members 
in an early day. They had the services, more 



HISTOEICAL AUTD BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 171 

or less, of all the ministers who served the Paris 
church — ^Brothers Thomas, Wilson, Rice, Mount- 
joy and Featherston. The last named now re- 
sides there and is their beloved pastor. 

The congregation at Union, seven miles south- 
west of Paris, on the State road leading from Paris 
to Middle Grove, was one of the earliest in the 
county. I do not know the year in which it 
was organized nor who the preacher was, "but it 
was frorg the beginning a church of great useful- 
ness. Among the early members were Bro. For- 
man, whose name is mentioned as one of the char- 
ter members of the Paris church, and his most ex- 
cellent family, one of whom was William, the 
singing teacher, to whom the churches in all that 
part of the State are indebted for their knowledge 
of vocal music ; the Barkers, the Cartwrights, the 
Browns, the McCanns, the Withers, the Burtons, 
the Maddoxes, etc., etc. Bro. Henry Thomas was 
for many years their preacher ; after him Alfred 
Wilson, Benj. Smith and Featherston and Sur- 
ber. Elders D. P. Henderson, Jacob Creath, T. 
M. Allen and many others have held meetings 
there. They have built a second meeting house 
and are at this time one of the best congregations 
in the State. Brother Surber is now, I think, their 
regular preacher. 

Since writing the above the following letter has 
been received, which throws some additionel light 



172 THE CHEISTIA:N' church in MISSOURI. 

on the origin and early history of the Union con- 
gregation : 

At Home, March 27, 1834. 

Elder T. P. Halet — Dear B r oilier : — I see in 
the Cliristian-EwMgelist you are collecting ma- 
terial to pul)lish a book to give a history of the 
current Reformation in Missouri. As I am the 
last surviving member of the church at Union 
except one, old brother HoUoway, now in his 76th 
year, I will do the best I can under the circum- 
stances. 

I went to see brother Tom Dry and wife a few 
days since ; they were not members at the time of 
' the organization of the church, but were present 
at the time. We fully agreed in nearly every 
point on the subject. According to my best recol- 
lection the church was organized in May, 1835, or 
'36 — not later than '36 — with seventeen members. 
I will give you the names : John A. Holloway and 
wife, Benjamin Mason and wife, Thomas Watts, 
and wife, James Hawkins and wife, Joseph For- 
man, wife, and sister Woodward, John Forman 
and wife, sister Eliza Chapman and your un- 
worthy servant; I think a daughter of brother 
Mason. This will approximate pretty close to the 
organization. My father and brother Mason were 
elected elders ; Joseph Forman and James Haw- 
kins were elected deacons. 

We met for a time in the school-house near by. 



HISTOEICAL AITD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 173 

We then met near the old Forman Mill for two 
or three years for worship, brother Thompson 
preaching for us occasionally; also brother 
Thomas. During these years old brother Barker 
came to Missouri ; also brother Henry Glasscock, 
who put in his membership with us ; also some of 
their children ; this helped us very much indeed. 
We often had additions to the church, but the 
first meeting that was of any special note was 
held in 1839. The preachers present were B. W. 
Stone, Jacob Creath, John K,. McCall, Eastham 
Ballinger, of Marion county, Henry Thomas, Al- 
fred Wilson, who just commenced speaking in 
public. It was held just South of James Forman's 
down on the river bank, at a good spring. We 
had seventeen additions, J. C. Forman, sisters 
Minerva and Amanda, among the number. Time 
passed on ; the church was prospering all the time 
with frequent additions. The next protracted 
meeting that was held, of special interest, was 
held in 1846 by brother T. M. Allen. It was held 
on the farm of my father-in-law, DanT Cartwright, 
south of his residence ; we had twenty-six addi- 
tions, if my memory is not at fault. I should 
have said, in the proper place, brother Thomas was 
present all the time. We then began to talk of 
building a house of worship. It was finally 
agreed to build. We had the frame put up, cost- 
ing $75. It stood there more than a year ; finally 
we got it inclosed. Times were hard, money 



174 THE CHEISTIAI^ CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

scarce. Brother Baker furnished the plank to 
enclose it ; I dressed all the plank myself to en- 
close it with. We then set about to plaster and 
seat it ; all hands set in. We soon had the lime 
on the ground to plaster the house ; I, with the 
assistance of a hand, prepared the mortar for the 
plastering. I superintended the entire job. 

Additions were still being made to the church. 
Brother Thomas preaching mostly to the church 
at the time. I will say further, it has been a cus- 
tom with the church ever since its conception to 
hold a protracted meeting once every year in the 
month of August. With a few exceptions we 
have kept it up to this time. I know, brother 
Haley, you are well informed, as a general thing 
that we have had the services of our best preach- 
ers at these meetings. 

We have had regular preaching, once a month, 
for forty years. In conclusion I will state that I 
acted as a deacon for over twenty years. The 
brethren then saw fit to elect me an elder in the 
church ; I have served some six years in that ca- 
pacity. My father was an elder until he sold 
out and moved to Sturgeon. Brothers Barker and 
GlaS'«^ock remained elders until they died. 
As ever, j^ours indeed, 

William H. Foeman-. 

The congregations at Shelbina, Granville and 
Monroe City, as well as the one called Antioch, 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 175 

south of Paris, are all of comparatively recent 
origin. They are all good strong chnrclies that 
keep the ordinances and maintain regular preach- 
ing. There are probably other smaller churches 
in the county, that ought to be mentioned in this 
connection, but I do not recall them, and their or- 
ganizations are so recent that my readers can 
readily obtain any desired information concern- 
ing them. 

Among the deceased preachers who have lab- 
ored in Monroe county who have not been men- 
tioned is Elder A. H. Rice. He was born and 
raised, I think, in Illinois. He belonged to a 
family of preachers, three of whom labored and 
died in Missouri. A. H. in Paris, Yirgil in Clarks- 
ville, probably, and the other in Plattsburg. A. H. 
was not, I think, educated for the ministry, and 
I think a man of only ordinary English educa- 
tion. He sx)oke and wi'ote his vernacular cor- 
rectly and fluently. He was above six feet in 
height and quite slender ; he had black [hair and 
dark eyes and dark complexion. He had a good 
voice and clear and distinct utterance. He was 
argumentative in style, and still had good hor- 
tatory power. He was a good pastor, but a bet- 
ter evangelist, and was greatly beloved wherever 
he preached. His memory is fresh and fragrant 
at Paris, and all mention him to praise him. He 
was cut down by that fell destroyer, consumption. 



176 THE CHEISTIA]^ CHURCH IN MISSOURT. 

in tlie prime of his life and in tlie midst of Ms 
greatest usefulness. 

Elder P. Donan, as I understand, was a Scotch 
Presbyterian, who came from Scotland and set- 
tled in one of the Southern States, where he mar- 
ried his wife and labored for a number of years 
as a Presbyterian minister. He was of medium 
height and weight, had light hair and somewhat 
florid complexion. He was, as most Presbyterian 
ministers are, a well educated man ; being a clas- 
sical scholar and a graduate of a theological 
school. He was a fair speaker, and a very ele- 
gant man in his manners. I have never known a 
man more faultless in his bearing in the social 
circle. 

He came into the Christian Church, however, 
too late in life to feel perfectly adjusted. He was 
always a clergyman in his manners, and in no 
religious body are clerical manners less respected 
than in ours. Mr. Campbell's merciless assaults 
upon the "kingdom of the clergy" scarcely left 
a vestige of respect for the minister, much less for 
a clergyman. It was worth a man's reputation to 
call himself a clergyman or to allow himself to be 
called *' Reverend." From one extreme men al- 
ways swing to another. 

When brother Donan came into the Christian 
Church he left his wife and children in the Pres- 
byterian Church; but one by one his children 
followed his example, and at last his wife, a most 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOaRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 177 

intelligent and accomplished lady, also came. He 
labored for tlie Paris churcli for a time and then 
supplied the churches within reach once a month, 
and then evangelized generally. In the meantime 
he edited the "Autobiography of Elder Jacob 
Creath," which was the only literary labor he 
performed among us. He removed to Palmyra in 
the latter years of his life, where he lived greatly 
respected by his neighbors, and departed this life 
respected and honored as a scholarly and upright 
man and an able minister of the Word. He left 
a family of children of unusual brightness, among 
whom is the somewhat eccentric but brilliant P. 
Donan, of newspaper fame. His services were 
never properly remunerated, and he died in com- 
parative poverty. May a kind Providence watch 
over his dear wife and children whom he so dearly 
loved. 

12 



178 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

CHAPTER V. 

HOWARD COUNTY. 

It is now exeeedingly^.difficult to obtain any 
correct statistics of the churches in Howard, 
though it is well known that for many years it was 
the stronghold of the reformation in the river 
counties. I am indebted to brother Herndon, one 
of the old estmembers of the congregation in Fay- 
ette, for the following interesting letter: 

"Fayette, Mo., January 22, 1884. 

" Dear Brother Haley : — Your card of the 
16th was duly received. I deeply regret that it is 
not in my power to give you the information you 
desire, but will give you what I can. 

" I came to Fayette in May, 1835. There was 
then no house of worship in this town. I think 
the Methodist Church had an organization, and 
there was a Christian church with a few members. 
If the church was not organized before I came here 
it must have been very soon after. There was a 
good deal of preaching. The court house and the 
academy (a one story brick, near where Central 
College now stands) were used for preaching by 
all. I heard at the time of Joel H. Haden and 
Joel Prewitt, both farmers and trading men, the 
latter a merchant in Fayette a few years later; 



HISTOKICAL AXD BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 179 

both preached frequently, bnt my memory is that 
preaching was not their chief "business. 

"The fii'st preacher for the church here, as I 
remember, was Elder Thomas McBride. He re- 
sided here a year or two, perhaps, an old man 
much beloved by the brethren. 

'* I united with the church in 1840, and had but 
little information about it prior to that time. I 
find no record further back than 184S. Since 1840 
we have had a host of preachers. Jeremiah P. 
Lancaster, S. S. Church, Thomas M. Allen, Mar- 
cus P. ^ills, Hampton L. Boone (after he united 
with us. I think in 1842), D. Pat. Henderson, John 
W. McGarvey, Thomas X. Gaines, TT. C. Boone, 
Dr. TV. H .Hopson, Jonathan Atkinson, J. D. Wil- 
mott, W. A. Blanks, E. A. Pardee, TVUlian, M. 
Featherston, J. M. Tennison, James Eandall. It 
is probable that the names of several are omitted. 
From 1840 up to the present, many able and dis- 
tinguished jn-eachers have been here in proa-acted 
meetings. Among them our beloved brother Al- 
len, brother Henderson. Bro. Church, Bro. D. S. 
Burnett, Bro. L. B. Wilkes, Bro. T. P. Haley, also 
our much beloved brothers McGarvey and Hop- 
son. Isaac Errett preached one or two sermons 
on one occasion. State meetings were held in '48 
and *50. Recently brother A. Procter held us a 
two weeks' meeting. 

••Very truly, yom' brother, 

*• A. J. Herxdox. ■' 



180 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

In the days wlien " State meetings " were held 
with the Fayette chnrch it was regarded as one of 
the largest and most prosperous in the State. 

When Hampton L. Boone came over from the 
Methodist Church to the Christian Church, he 
brought with him such an influence that it was 
not difficult for the brethren then to secure the 
church building, which they still occupy. If they 
had been able at that time to secure control of 
the educational interests of the town and commu- 
nity, they would doubtless have maintained the 
supremacy they then enjoyed. But the Methodist 
brethren still held the schools, and subsequently 
located their State school for both males and 
females there, and have generally controlled the 
public sentiment of the community, but through 
all the years tie Disciples have had a respect- 
able footing in the community. Read again the 
list of the names of the preachers who have served 
them and there will be no doubt about the place 
which they have always held before the public. 
Of these men we shall speak further in these 
pages. 

The church at Mount Pleasant, in the south- 
western portion of the county, is one of the 
oldest in the county. It was also served by 
many of the preachers named in the Fayette list. 
Brother Gaines resided in the neighborhood and 
served them for a number of years. Brother Jas. 
Randall also, with others, lived in the neighbor- 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 181 

hood. Among the more prominent mem'bers who 
resided there were Brother Robert Estill and fam- 
ily, the McGavock family, the Bowmans, Tniitt, 
Settles, Wilcoxens, Hughes, etc. 

They have maintained their organization from 
the beginning, and have been generally supplied 
with regular preaching. Recently the congrega- 
tion has built a new house of worship at Franklin, 
though meetings are still held, I think, at the old 
house. 

The congregation at Boonsborough is also one of 
the old organizations. It was the home of that 
venerable man of God, Elder William Burton. I 
have no records from this old church, but in an 
early day it enjoyed frequent visits from Joel 
H. Hayden and others. Bro. Procter, when a 
young man, often visited them and held meetings 
for them. They still maintain their organization, 
and have had the services of late years of Bro. 
Thomas Campbell. 

Richland, a few miles south of Glasgow, is an- 
other one of the early organizations of Howard. I do 
not know how early this church was planted. It is 
probably as old as the Fayette congregation. Of the 
members of the long ago were the Terrells, Woods, 
Graves, Casons, Humes, etc. The preachers who 
served them were those mentioned in connection 
with the other churches, especially Joel H. Hayden, 
whose elegant home was not far distant. In my 
travels in northwestern Missouri I met a number 



182 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

of disciples who had removed from this old church. 
It was one of the many churches that became the 
mother of churches. They still maintain an 
efficient organization, and have regular preaching. 
The church at Glasgow was organized at a later 
day and under great difficulties. It was one of the 
communities in which we made an unfavorable be- 
ginning. It was perhaps partly on account of the 
fact that the denominations, and especially the 
Methodists, were strong and thoroughly organized 
before we made a beginning, and partly on ac- 
count of the fact that Bro.- " Billy " Brown, who 
was among the first ^preachers there, " raised the 
black flag, asking no quarter and showing none." 
At an early day a good frame meeting-house was 
built, and a number of excellent families iden- 
tified themselves with the church, among which 
were brother John H. Estill and wife, Weston 
F. Birch and family, the Eopers, the Maupins, 
the Forbes, Dr. Cropp and others. They also had 
Bro. Procter as preacher for a number of 
years. A great many brethren visited and 
preached for them, and one State meeting (1858) 
was held there. Still the church did not prosper. 
During the war it was thought best to sell the 
house, and through the failure of one of the trus- 
tees who held the money, the whole amount was 
lost, and everything went to pieces. Since the 
war, through the untiring efforts of a few mem- 
bers, the fragments have been gathered up and 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 183 

a neat little liouse has been built, and now a 
small band keep the ordinances and have the 
gospel preached. 

In the meantime the town has lost much of 
its former business and prominence, since the 
river commerce has been absorbed by the rail- 
roads. With such courage and faith, however, as 
they have shown in the last few years, they 
will no doubt be able to maintain their ground 
and build up by and by a good congregation. For 
the sake of what it once was, as well as for the 
noble little band now there, it is fondly hoped 
that they may succeed. 

There is a congregation called Pleasant Green, 
between Fayette and Glasgow, composed, I think 
at first of persons who had been members at 
Glasgow, Fayette and Eichland, but I have no 
means of ascertaining their present condition 
and prospects. It is also quite probable that in 
the march of years other congregations have 
sprung up not in this list. 

Of the preachers mentioned in connection with 
the cause in Howard, not yet noticed in this work, 
I mention first the name of Joel H. Haden. I 
have written to his grand-daughter, Mrs. Lizzie 
Cooper Pollard, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, for in- 
formation concerning his early life and labors^ 
and while she is under the impression that such 
papers or data as would furnish the needed infor- 



184 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

mation do exist, she is unable to tell where they 
are. 

I am shut in, therefore, to very meager accounts 
of his early life and labors, and must depend on 
my own memory of what I have heard him say. 
Had I imagined then that it would ever have fal- 
len to my lot to attempt such a work as this, I 
might have known all that it is desirable to know. 
There is no m^n who labored among the Dis- 
ciples whose record is more worthy to be writ- 
ten. He was born, in what year I know not, in 
the State of Greorgia. His parents were Meth- 
odists. He was, when I first knew him, over six 
feet in height, perfectly erect, and weighed not 
less than two hundred and twenty -five pounds. He 
had light hair and blue eyes, fair complexion, a 
broad, high forehead, large mouth and nose, and 
prominent cheek bones. He had a fine voice, but 
a slight impediment, or hesitancy, in his speech. 
He was a man who had evidently moved in the 
best circles of society all his life. His manner was 
graceful, easy and polite to every one. He was, 
when I knew him first, the possessor of a fine es- 
tate, and while he lived in great simplicity he had 
the means to gratify every desire, both of himself 
and family. He dispensed a princely hospitality. 

In his early life he became a Methodist 
preacher. I think I have heard him say that at 
seventeen he was in charge of a circuit. About 
the time he commenced his ministry the very 



HISTOEICAL AXD BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 185 

atmosphere was freighted with the spirit of relig- 
ions reformation. The yonng preacher canght the 
spirit, and some years before he had ever heard of 
Stone or Alexander Campbell he had become so 
far a reformerthat "he refused to wear any name 
but that of Christian or to have any rule of faith 
and practice save the iS'ew Testament." He was 
thrown with a godly man in the Methodist Church, 
whose name was O'Kelley, and he and his party 
were soon called " O'Kelleyites," or Methodist 
Christians. By some means, perhaps attracted 
by what he had heard of religious reform, he 
found his way to Kentucky and became asso- 
ciated with Marcus P. Wills, Francis R. Palmer^ 
Barton W. Stone, and others who had gone farther 
in religious reformation than had he, and were 
called ^N'ew Lights. I have received the foUowing^. 
letter from one who knew him in those early days, 
and I am pleased to insert it, not because it refers 
to brother Haden, so much as because it throws 
much light on those early times. 

" Oeegox, Mo., Ja]s-uary 6, 1884. 
" Brother Haley — Dear Sir: — Having seen it 
announced that you were going to write the biog- 
raphy of our old brother, Joel H. Haden, and that 
you wanted all the information of that man jovl 
could get, permit an old man in his 79th year to 
tell you what he knows of his early life, as he was 
well acquainted with him in his early boyhood. 



186 THE CHRISTIAJS" CHURCH IN" MISSOURI. 

" About the year 1817 lie and brother Thomas 
Smith, who died in Lexington, Ky., many years 
ago, moved from Scott county to Christian county, 
Ky., and settled six and ten miles south of Hop- 
kinsville, when they commenced preaching at 
Mean's meeting-house, within a mile of my 
father's, and organized a church of some six or 
eight members. They were called ' Unitarians ' 
then. Haden continued to preach once a month 
and hold church meeting on Saturday. 

" The first man who became awakened and pro- 
fessed religion in that region was my father. He, 
my mother, Haden' s wife, Samuel Haney and wife, 
Margaret Means and Fannie Bozarth gave in their 
experience, and the next day were immersed. Now 
let me relate a part of my father's experience. 
When it was noised abroad that old man 
Calloway had gotten religion. Baptists, Presby- 
terians and Methodists came to visit him to induce 
him* to join their sects. He became very uneasy, 
and did not know what to do, or whom to join. 
So one day he was was riding along the road 
praying to the Lord to tell him what he must do, 
and whom he must join, when he heard a voice 
from heaven, clear and distinct: ' Join Joel Haden's 
church, it is a good church.' That was enough. 
From this a wonderful revival started up. They 
would spread out the mourner's bench and scores 
would come up to be ' prayed for.' I have seen 
the floor covered with mourners wild with excite- 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 187 

ment. It ran on till there was scarcely a house in 
the vicinity where there was not a member. 
Brother Haden wrote to Barton W. Stone to send 
him help. Then came brother James Robinson 
(who is now living in Secor, Ills.), Frank Palmer, 
Hamilton Gray and Marcus P. Wills. Among the 
many new converts were some four or live young 
men of promise, and brother Haden determined 
to educate them for the ministry. He built a 
study in his yard and proceeded to teach them 
Divinity. Among these were Coley S. Stevenson, 
Addison Stevenson, John O. Scott, Thomas Hargus 
and Washington Dunkerson, and, strange as it 
may seem, in this school the Reformation began 
first to dawn in Christian county; not in Joel H. 
Haden, but in the most insignificant looking man 
in the school, John O. Scott, who soon took the 
ground that all of our knowledge of God, 
all our knowledge of the Christian religion we 
had, we learned from the Divine Word, when 
Haden and all the school rose up in opposi- 
tion and banished him from the school. Haden 
named it 'Book Religion.' In consequence Scott 
was the first man to endorse the ' Christian Bap- 
tist ' when it made its appearance, together with 
Campbell, McKnight and Doddridge's Translation. 
It was said of brother Haden that he had not his 
eyes entirely open when he left Kentucky for Mis- 
souri, but all the churches he and others had 
organized in the county embraced the 'book 



188 THE CHEISTIA^ CHURCH IIS^ MISSOURI. 

religion ' as soon as they got to understand it. 
Prominent among those was brother Col. John 
Thomson, Brother J. W. McGarvey's grandfather. 
A brother Isaiah Boone, a Baptist, was preaching 
near brother Thomson and went to spend the 
night with him. The next morning Bro. Thomson 
urged brother Boone to take the new translation 
home with him and read it. He refused, but said 
perhaps he might do so when he should come 
again. When the day came brother Thomson 
folded it in a paper, and Brother Boone said to me, 
'I crammed it down in the bottom of my saddle 
bags and was afraid to let my wife see it, so I hid 
it when I went home. The next Sunday it rained 
so I could not go to my appointment. While my 
wife was asleep I stole out the book and went into 
the woods and laid it on a rock and lay down by 
it. The first thing I saw was the preface to the 
Hebrew letter, which I read carefully. Then I 
turned to the letter, which I had never been able 
to comprehend. As I read a ray of light burst 
upon me. I saw what I never could see before. I 
turned over on my back and shouted with all my 
might. After that I did not care who knew I had 
the book." 

" Now, my brother, if you can glean anything 
from this imperfect sketch it is at j^our service. 
" In the hope of immortality, 
" Your brother, 

'• W. D. Calloway." 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 189 

When Brother Haden came to Misso.uri he 
settled on his farm and continued to preach as he 
had opportunity. Brother Herdon says he " was a 
farmer and trader, and that preaching was not his 
chief business." In that day, among the infant 
churches, no man was paid for preaching, and all 
the preachers were compelled to have some other 
calling, and, like Paul, labored with their own 
hands to minister to their necessities. 

It is noticeable that after coming to Missouri 
there is no more " Unitarianism " in his discourses. 
He speaks of Father, Son and Holy Spirit as the 
God-head, avoiding everywhere scholastic terms. 
It is also observed that the mourners' bench is no 
longer employed, but penitent believers on the 
Lord Jesus Christ are baptized on a confession of 
their faith in the Lord Jesus. While brother 
Haden never liked to be called a Trinitarian, 
after his identification with the Missouri churches 
no man taught more clearly than he the divinity 
of our blessed Lord. He emphasized the state- 
ment that while Jesus was as human as his 
mother, he was as divine as his Father, God. 

Those who heard brother Haden' s remarkable 
address at the '^ State meeting " at Glasgow in 
1858, will remember the struggle he had on the 
subject of baptism. He had been sprinkled in in- 
fancy, had been a preacher for a number of years, 
and had sprinkled hundreds, perhaps thousands, 
of his converts. He heard Barton W. Stone on the 



190 THE CHRISTIa:^ church in MISSOURI. 

mode of baptism. They were practically together 
on all other questions. This inclined him to con- 
sider favorably Mr. Stone's arguments. The night 
after the discourse he retired with a number of 
preachers in the room. They could not sleep. The 
sermon of the day was the topic of conversation. 
The arguments of Mr. Stone were turned over and 
looked at from every possible point of view. At 
last brother Haden exclaimed to the Baptist min- 
ister : '' The fact is, the argument is absolutely 
* unget-overable,' and I intend to be immersed ; will 
you go now and baptize me?" The preacher told 
him certainly he would do so to-morrow ; but he 
said, "To-morrow will not do: it. must be done 
now." The Baptist minister declined. Mr. Stone 
was lodging at a neighbor's house. Brother Ha- 
den and those who sympathized with him arose 
and attired themselves, and sought the house 
where Bro. Stone was stopping. Some neighbors 
and friends on the way were aroused and informed 
of his purpose. The night was dark. The preach- 
er was found and readily responded. By the time 
they reached the water a log-heap had been 
lighted, and there, amid the fitful light of the log- 
heap, they sang and prayed, and the eloquent 
young preacher was led down into the water 
and buried beneath the yielding wave, and raised 
to., walk in newness of life. " From that night 
to this hour," said the old man eloquent, "I have 
never had a doubt on the subject." 



HISTOEICAL A:NT> BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 191 

His heart then burned with a desire to set right 
his converts whom he felt he had led astray on the 
subject. So he at once set out on his circuit, and 
wherever he had preached and established 
churches he visited them and preached to them 
the " one baptism." He said it was no unusual 
sight to see an entire congregation demand and 
receive baptism. This incident shows that brother 
Haden was an honest man and true to his con- 
victions. Like Abraham, when God spoke to 
him, he said, " Here am I, Lord." 

After some years in Missouri, preaching in How- 
ard, Boone, Randolph, Cooper, and Saline coun- 
ties, he was appointed Register of the Land Office 
at Springfield Missouri, which office he held for a 
number of years. But while at Springfield and in 
office he was not unmindful of the claims of the 
gospel of Christ. He not only preached it him- 
self, but he induced other brethren from different 
parts of the State to visit and preach in that part 
of Missouri. To Joel H. Haden, therefore, more 
than to any other man, are we indebted for the 
strong hold which our plea has in that part of the 
State. It was while in Springfield that he brought 
the Wilkes brothers, Peter and Lansford, to a 
knowledge of the truth. They were raised Pres- 
byterians, but coming under his influence while 
boarding in his family, they were both taught the 
way of the Lord more perfectly. Joel H. Haden 
has continued to preach, therefore, through tha:|. 



192 THE CHRISTIA:N' church 12^ MISSOURI. 

man of splendid brain and spotless character, L. 
B. "Wilkes, now of Stockton, California. He ought 
to have written this sketch, and I trust this imper- 
fect outline will inspire him to do what ought long 
since to have been done. 

During Bro. Haden's long residence in Howard 
county his house was nearly always the home of 
some young preacher, and no man ever associated 
with him who was not made better by him. The 
writer recalls many pleasant visits to his home 
and many words of encouragement and counsel. 

Joel Haden was not a man of great erudition, 
though much better educated than most of the 
ministers of his day, and no man was a more 
earnest advocate of an educated ministry than 
was he. In the later years of his life he lived in 
comparative quiet on his magnificent estate at 
Linwood, in Howard county. Here he buried his 
beloved Patsey, and here he closed his eyes in the 
sleep of death. No man ever met the monster 
more calmly. He had his coffin and burial 
outfit made under his own supervision and laid 
down, "like the warrior who wraps the drapery of 
his couch about him and lies down to pleasant 
dreams." He left two sons, Charley and Hamp. 
The former lived long in the vicinity of Spring- 
field ; the latter now lives in Texas. His daugh- 
ters, Mrs. Shirley and Mrs. Cooper, left children, 
some of whom still survive. 

Hampton L. Boone, who has been mentioned a& 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 193 

one of the pioneer preachers in Howard county, 
was born in Missouri. He was a descendant of the 
celebrated Daniel Boone, and brother of Elder W. 
C. Boone, late of Jefferson City, Missouri. He 
was tall and exceedingly slight, was a man of fair 
education and remarkable natural ability. He 
was a fluent and eloquent speaker and com- 
manded respectful attention wherever he spoke. 
He commenced his public ministry in the Meth- 
odist Church, in Fayette. He was a man of in- 
tense convictions and deeply in earnest in what- 
ever he did. He always exercised a command- 
ing influence, and as a result, when he came 
into the Christian Church he was followed by 
considerable numbers of his Methodist brethren. 
This stirred up considerable feeling, and bitter 
prejudices were aroused, and some discussion fol- 
lowed which showed that he was eqpal to the oc- 
casion, and that he was not only able to " give a 
reason for the hope that was in him," but a reason 
for his new position. 

In the journal of Elder Thomas M. Allen for 
the year 1841 I find this entry : " January 29th. 
Brothers T. Smith'and M. Wills and myself went 
to Fayette. I preached at early candle-light. 

" 30th. Bro. Wills preached in the morning 
and Bro. Smith at^night. 

" 31st. Fifth Lord's day. I preached in the 
morning ; vast congregations all the time. Up to 
13 



194 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IIT MISSOURI. 

this date four liad confessed Jesus, and one united 
by letter and three joined from the Methodists. 
Among them was Bro. H. L. Boone (who had long' 
been a Methodist preacher) and his lady, making 
eight in all. Bro. Boone made an able address 
in writing, giving his reasons for leaving Meth- 
odism and human creeds, and uniting with us on 
the Bible alone. It was listened to with profound 
attention by a large assembly. Having to meet 
the Board of Curators in the morning in Columbia, 
came on late in the evening as far a s Dr. Eol- 
lins*, leaving Bros. Smith, Wills, Lancaster and 
Prewitt with Bro. Boone to carry on the meeting.'' 

Thus it will be seen that brother Boone entered 
into the work of the ministry among us at once, 
and from that time until his death was most ac- 
tive, visiting all the churches in the region round 
about. From the time of his coming into the 
Christian Church until the year 1851 his name ap- 
pears in connection with a great number of excel- 
lent meetings held in different parts of Central 
Missouri. He was also at nearlv all the State 
meetings and entered heartily into the counsels of 
the brethren in all their enterprises. In the jour- 
nal of brother T. M. Allen for 1851 I find the fol- 
lowing entries ; 

" March 25th. I went to Columbia in the fore- 
noon, where I met a message for me to go to Fay- 
ette to preach the funeral of brother H. L. Boone, 
who died this morning at 4 o'clock. I came home 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 195 

and then went and spent tlie night at Prof. Hud- 
son's. 

" 26th. I went to Fayette and preached the 
funeral of brother Hampton L. Boone at 3 o'clock 
p. M., and attended his burial at about 5 o'clock. 
A large and solemn congregation and procession. 
He was a Christian brother of great worth, a 
preacher of fine mind, amiable, kind and good. 
A warm-hearted and generous friend, a kind hus- 
band, an indulgent father, a zealous Christian. 
"We were greatly attached as brethren in the Lord. 
He was 49 years old, and has left a widow and 
nine children to mourn his loss. Brother Joel H. 
Haden and A. Procter were present. " 

Thus passed away in the prime of his life and 
in the midst of his usefulness, one who did much 
to help forward the cause in his day. 

Elder Joel Prewitt, whose name appears in con- 
nection with the early history of the church in 
Fayette, Rocheport, and indeed all that section of 
country, came from Kentucky. I find his name 
mentioned in the journal of brother Allen as 
among the earh^ reformers in that State. As 
stated in brother Henidon's letter, he was first a 
farmer and then a merchant, but it must not be 
inferred from this fact that he was not also a reg- 
ularly authorized minister of the Word, :^r in 
those days among the Disciples, none were wholly 
supported by the churchies. With the merciless 
assaults upon the clergy had also gone the senti- 



196 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

ment that "they cared more for the fleece than the 
flock, " and most of the pioneer preachers labored 
without pecuniary compensation. 

Brothfer Prewitt gave such time, therefore, as he 
could spare from the necessary labor for the sup- 
port of his family to the proclamation of the gos- 
pel, and was regarded in that day as fully compe- 
tent to preach the gospel and to defend the faith 
once delivered to the saints. I regret that I have 
been unable to secure data for a suitable notice 
of this pioneer preacher. All agree, however, in 
saying that he was a good preacher, a good man 
and greatly esteemed among his brethren. He left 
a large family of children. His widow lived to a 
great age and was well known, especially to the 
brethren in St. Louis. His eldest son, Robert, T., 
was a distinguished lawyer, often spoken of for 
the Supreme Court. He died some years ago at 
Fayette, in the midst of his usefulness and in the 
enjoyment of a lucrative practice. Theodore is a 
prominent and successful physician and surgeon 
in St. Louis, and Major W. W. Prewitt, of Ne- 
vada, Missouri, so well known to the churches and 
preachers in Missouri, is also his son. Of his 
daughters I cannot write, though I think two or 
three of them are still living. There were other 
sons, but of their whereabouts I am not advised, if 
they are still living. 

"ISTevada, Mo., March 4, 1884. 

''Thomas P. Haley. — Dear Brother'. — ^I have 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 197 

gathered up all the information I can in regard to 
my father. I am sorry I can give so little infor- 
mation on the subject. He was born in Jessamine 
county, Kentucky, about the year 1784, and after 
wards moved -to Bourbon county, Ky., where he 
lived till the fall of 1823, when he moved to How- 
ard county, Mo. I don't know when he was bap- 
tized or by whom. I have an impression that he 
was immersed by Jere Yardeman, but am not cer- 
tain. He united with the Baptist Church in Ken- 
tucky, and was a very active member after he 
came to Howard. About the year 1833 he and 
brother Harry Yivion were excluded from the Bap- 
tist Church at Mount Moriah, for heresy, and 
twenty or thirty others went with them. TJiey 
then organized into a Christian church, and there 
being no preacher, my father commenced preach- 
ing, I think, in the latter part of 1832. The con- 
gregation afterward moved from Mount Moriah to 
Fayette, and united with others who had left the 
Baptist Church. After the church was organized 
in Fayette he did not preach for them regularly 
very long, but continued to preach in destitute 
places wherever he could find a few brethren too 
poor to support a preacher. 

" Among those who labored with him in the be- 
ginning were brother Joel Haden, old Father 
McBride, Marcus P. Wills, Allen Wright, then a 
young man. A few years after other preachers 
came to their assistance in Howard, and my father 



198 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

then commenced traveling to more distant points 
where his labors were needed. He died in the fall 
of 1846 or '47 at his home in Howard. I left How- 
ard in 1844, and have seen but little of any of 
the family since, and have no records to look to 
for information. 

" Yours fraternally, 

" W. W. Prewitt. " 



HISTORICAL ATs^D BIOGKAPIIICAL SKETCHES. 199 

CHAPTER yi. 

LAFAYETTE COUNTY. 

The CJmrcTi at Lexington was the first organized 
in the county, as one of the churches of the Refor- 
mation, though the church at Dover, which was 
originally a ''New Light " church, and which sub- 
sequently came in, was organized at a much earl- 
ier date. 

The church at Lexington was organized on the 
17th day of April, 1836, by Elders Levi Yancamp, 
Phoebe Yancamp, Elizabeth Moseby, John S. Por- 
ter, Elvira Porter, Samuel R. Benton, Ann Benton, 
Rebecca Thorp, Geo. W. Marquis, Levina Mar- 
quis, Wyatt K. Stone, Eliza J. Stone, Cinderella 
Bounds, James Bounds, Robert Littlejohn, and 
James A. Marquis. The first church building was 
erected in 1840 at a cost of $4,000 and sold to the 
colored Baptists in 1873. The present church 
building on South Street was erected in 1870, is of 
brick, and cost about $15,000. 

Names of the preachers who have labored with 
and for the congregation up to the time of this 
writing, are as follows : Elders Duke Young, F. R. 
Palmer, John Callerman, Thomas N. Gaines, S. S. 
Church, Allen Wright, Samuel Swinford, Noah 
Miller, Geo. W. Elby, Thomas P. Haley, H. H. 
Haley, John R. Frame, William C. Dawson, Den- 



200 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

nis Grandfield, George G. Taylor, Frank W. Allen, 
C. B. Edgar, George Platte nburg^ Jesse H. Hughes, 
Chapman S. Lucas, and Calvin S. Blackwell. 

The present membership is three hundred and 
thirtj-five. The present Elders are William A. 
Gordon, Joseph B. Shelby, Harrison Smith and 
Lynn B. Gordon. 

The Sunday-school was organized in 1844 by 
Dr. Joseph G. Chinn, who was the first superinten- 
dent. Of the original members, America and Abi- 
gail Yancamp and John S. Porter are still living. 
Of the preachers still living are T. P. Haley, W. 
C. Dawson, D. M. Grandfield, George G. Taylor, 
F. W. Allen, C. B. Edgar, George Plattenburg, J. 
H. Hughes and C. S. Blackwell. The congregation 
is in a very prosperous condition, and is con- 
stantly growing in numbers and influence, is out 
of debt and has a small reserve fund. 

The foregoing interesting sketch is furnished by 
brother John E. Bascom who has been one of the 
deacons for many years, and who was for many 
years the faithful superintendent of the Sunday- 
school and leader of the singing ; but mere statis- 
tics can give no idea of the life of this most inter- 
esting church. I was pastor there from October, 
1858, to August, 1864, and learned to know them 
and their past history most thoroughly, and since 
I left them I have held several great meetings 
there, and have made them occasional visits. 
AYliile the church has done a glorious work for 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 201 

God and humanity, and while they haA'e kept the 
ordinances most faithfully through all the years, 
omitting only one Lord's day through the dark 
years of the civil war, still they have had sore 
trials, and many of them will surely be of that 
number who will hear it said of them, " These 
have come up through great tribulation and ang- 
uish and have washed their robes and made them 
white in the blood of the lamb." There was at one 
time a great '' schism in the body," which resulted 
in the organization of a second congregation, and 
the building of the house on South Street, known 
as the second church, but after many years of 
waiting and struggling their difficulties were ad- 
justed, the second house sold, and the two congre- 
gations practically united. This was done about 
the year 1852 or '53, and since then, while they 
have had their "ups and downs," their progress 
has been steady and constant. It has alway been 
in many respects, one of the best congregations in 
the State. 

Dover Cfiurch^ as has already been said, was 
organized even earlier than the Lexington church. 
"While at the beginning they agreed to take and 
wear only the name Christian, and to eschew 
human creeds as bonds of union, advocating the 
all -sufficiency and supreme authority of the word 
of God, they still held and practiced many un- 
authorized things, such as the mourners' bench, 
infant baptism and sprinkling for baptism. But 



202 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

having agreed to take the Bible and the Bible 
alone as their rule of faith and practice, it was 
not long till they were led out of their errors and 
unscriptural practices and became fully identified 
with the churches of the Reformation. 

They mention, as among their early preachers : 
Thomas McBride, John and Samuel Rogers of 
Kentucky, and F. R.. Palmer some years later. 
Then Thomas N. Gaines, Allen Wright, Joel H. 
Haden and nearly all the preachers who were then 
preaching in that part of Missouri. 

In the year 1853 John W. McGarvey, now of the 
Bible College at Lexington, Kentucky, was called 
to preach for them till the year 1862, when he was 
called to Lexington, where he still resides. In a 
ministry of thirty years this devoted man has had 
but two homes, — ^Dover, Missouri, and Lexington, 
Kentucky, — and in both these homes he has hosts 
of friends who esteem him as one of the truest and 
purest of men. There has been one marked fea- 
ture of the Dover church from the very beginning ; 
it has so developed the talent of its own member- 
ship, both in songs and Bible knowledge, that 
they have never been dependent on the presence 
of a minister for a delightful meeting. Since their 
organization, they have held an annual meeting 
on the second Lord's day in August, at which a 
great multitude has become obedient to the faith. 
Nearly every preacher of any prominence in the 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 203 

State, has, at one time or another, attended the 
August meeting at Dover. 

The old RepuhUcan churcK now Higginsville, 
was probably the next church organized in the 
county. Among its first members were : brother 
John Warren and family, Anderson "Warren and 
family, William Ridge and family. These were 
all good citizens and good men and true in all the 
relations of life. They built a house of worship in 
the country not far from where the town of Hig- 
ginsville now stands, and from the date of their 
organization kept the ordinances and maintained 
a regular preacher. At an early day they were 
served by Elder Duke Young, who owned a small 
farm hard by the meeting house. Subsequently 
Thomas N. Gaines, Allen Wright, Hiram Bledsoe, 
T. W. Hancock, J. W. McGarvey, H. S. Earl, 
Henry H. Haley, William H. Eobinson, George 
Plattenburg and others served them. Since they 
removed their house to Higginsville brother Sam- 
uel McDaniel has served them the greater part of 
the time. Brother James Warren, son of John, 
mentioned above, a very acceptable preacher, 
resides among them and occasionally preaches for 
them. 

The church of Christ known as Union was or- 
ganized on the second Lord's day in December, 
1852. The following disciples constituting it: 
Wyatt H. Stone, Eliza J. Stone, M. E. Stone, Jane 
Conn, J. M. Small, Washington Small, A. T. 



204 THE CHRISTIA]^ CHURCH 11^ MISSOURI. 

Small, Thomas Procter, Mary Procter, and Easter, 
(a colored woman). 

The congregation, soon after its organization, 
built a neat brick house three miles south of the 
present town of Mayview, which town has been 
built up since the war. This house was burnt 
down during the late war, in the year 1864. JS'ot 
being able then to re-build, they met every Lord's 
day at " Wheatley's school-house. " In the year 
1872 they determined to build again, and after 
consultation and deliberation, they determined to 
locate the new house at Mayview, Missouri. They 
erected a neat frame building and changed the 
name. It is now called Church of Christ at May- 
mew. The new church building was dedicated on 
the 4th day of May, 1872, by brother D. M. 
Grandfield. 

When the church was first established, in 1852, 
Elder Allen Wright had an appointment to preach 
in the Baptist church near by. When he came 
the Baptist brothers refused to allow him to 
preach in their church, but as the Lord always 
provides, George B. Steele, a prominent citizen, 
but not a member of the church, first proposed 
that immediate steps be taken to build a house. 
He said he did not believe it right that such good 
men and women as his neighbors were should be 
deprived of a place of worship. He headed the 
subscription with one hundred dollars and do- 
nated the ground to build upon. After the money 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 205 

was raised, liowever, the building site was dona- 
ted by Dr. Flournaj. Mr. Steele never made the 
good confession, but was always ready to help 
the brethren. He died of cholera. 

Brother Hiram M. Bledsoe organized the church 
and was its first preacher. The next preacher of 
whom we have any record was Samuel P. Johnson. 
In 1859, Elders John W. McGarvey and Thomas 
P. Haley held a protracted meeting in which there 
was a large ingathering. After this Elder Henry 
H. Haley was the preacher and after his removal 
to Kansas City, Elder H. S. Earl. He went from 
here to England in 1861. The preachers who 
have labored here are W. H. Robinson, H. H. 
Haley, Allen Wright, James McMatton, Thomas 
JS". Gaines, George Plattenburg, G. R. Hand, D. M. 
Grandfield, W. P. Dorsey, "W. E,. Cunningham, J. 
A. Lord, H. W. Williams, George E. Shanklin, E. 
N. Payne, and Jas. A. Lord. At this time the 
church has a membership of seventy-one, is in 
good working condition and out of debt. For the 
above sketch I am indebted to brother S. T. Puck- 
ett, who is now an efficient officer of the church. 

My personal recollections of the Stones, Smalls? 
Procters, Wheatleys, Mosebys, etc., are exceed- 
ingly pleasant. They were all intelligent and 
earnest disciples. 

The church at Greenton Valley^ now Odessa, 
was probably the next organized. I have no data 
on which to write a suitable notice. It was the 



206 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

home of that remarkable man, Elder James Tibbs, 
and his equally remarkable sister, Mrs. Walker 
E-eid, mother of Col. John E,eid, of Lexington, 
Missouri, Major William Boyce and Col. Martin 
Slaughter also resided there. I presume Elder 
James McHatton, who also resided there, and who 
was a very acceptable minister of the word, 
organized the church of Greenton. J^early all of 
the preachers mentioned above have labored more 
or less in the town of Greenton. 

The church at Wellington was probably the 
next in order. The village is small and the popu- 
lation has always been more or less fluctuating, 
but at an early day there were a few disciples 
there, and these secured preaching, and by and 
by organized a small church. The organization 
owed existence to brother Benjamin Emison, Wil- 
liam Chanslor, brother Abner Houston, brother 
Chinn and their excellent families. Brother 
McHatton also greatly aided them even from the 
beginning and at present resides in their midst. 
Dr. William^ A. Gordon, now of Lexington, was 
also a strong support to them in their earlier his- 
tory. Every preacher who has ever labored at 
Wellington will Recall readily the name of 
" Uncle " Ben Emison, as he was familiarly called 
in the community. His house was the preacher's 
home for many years, and no man ever had a 
better one or one in which he was more hospitably 
entertained. 



HISTORICAL Ai^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 207 

Brother Emison was one of tlie elders of the 
church for many years. After the death of his 
beloved wife he went to the country to reside with 
his son hames, where he still resides, waiting for 
the summons " to come up higher. " 

Freedom Churchy in the southwestern part of 
the county, was probably the next church organ- 
ized. Of the early members I recall the Major's 
family. Stout, Benton, some of the Warrens, 
brother Littlejohn, and others. I do not know by 
whom they were organized nor am I advised of 
their present condition. Brother Henry H. Haley, 
H. S. Earl, brother Longan, (I think, brother Hed- 
rick) and other preachers of that section have 
labored more or less in the community. 

Waverly Cliurch was organized at an early, day 
probably chiefly through the labors of Elder T. 
]^. Gaines. Among its early members I recall the 
Halls, Carters, Jacksons, Fletchers. 

Brother George Fletcher, who recently died in 
Marshall, Missouri, so suddenly, was one of the 
pillars of this church from its organization to 
within a few years past. His house was the 
preacher's home, his purse was open at every rea- 
sonable demand at home and abroad. For a long 
time he was one of the honored elders of the con- 
gregation, and no man has made a more honorable 
record among his brethren and neighbors than 
he. 

Of the preachers who have labored in the 



208 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH I:N- MISSOURI. 

county and have passed away, I mention first that 
true man of God, Elder Hiram M. Bledsoe. 
Brother Bledsoe was born, I think, in Bourbon 
<JOunty, Kentucky. At least he was for many 
years a citizen of that county and was at one time 
''higli sheriff" of that county. He was at an 
early day connected with the Baptist church at 
Paris, Kentucky, and was one of the very first in 
the State known as a '* Reformed Baptist". When 
the union was proposed between the "Christian 
Church" in Paris, of which brother T. M. Allen 
was pastor, and the Rerformers, he was one of its 
warmest advocates, if indeed he did not propose 
it. After the union he was an officer in the con- 
gregation and commenced public speaking. 
Brother Bledsoe was in many respects a remark- 
able man. He was above six feet in height, 
weighing perhaps from one hundred and seventy- 
five to two hundred pounds. He was broad shoul- 
dered and rather angular ; had rather sandy hair 
and beard, and light grey or blue eyes. He had a 
broad, high forehead, large, expressive eyes and 
features that marked him at once as a most intel- 
lectual man. He had a heavy, monotonous voice, 
and spoke generally in a conversational tone. He 
was a man of fair English education, a good 
thinker, a fine student, an able logician, but not 
a fluent speaker. Had he possessed a fine deliv 
ery with his fine intellect and fine thoughts, he 
would have been a most commanding public 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 209 

speaker. He came from Bourbon county, Ken- 
tucky, and settled on a fine farm south of Lexing- 
ton, and while not regarded as a wealthy man, he 
was always in most comfortable circumstances. 
He was a successful farmer, a kind and obliging 
neighbor and a most valuable citizen. He was 
kind to the poor, most respectful to the humble, 
and yet bore himself so as to command the re- 
spect and admiration of all who knew him. He 
b)ecame one of the teaching elders in the congrega- 
tion at Lexington, and through their many years 
of trial was one of their wisest and safest counsel- 
lors. After the church at Lexington became 
strong enough to support a regular pastor, he 
extended the bounds of his labors and began to 
preach abroad. 

Nearly all the surrounding churches in Lafay- 
ette and Johnson counties are indebted to him for 
the most invaluable services rendered them when 
they were weak and struggling for existence. I 
am quite sure tliat the churches in that part of 
the State never had a wiser counsellor. He 
preached without salary and for the most part 
without compensation. After the church at Lex- 
ington got rid of all its troubles, he took his letter 
and became an elder at Union, now May view. 
Here he labored much, as well as at Hazel Hill, 
now Fayetteville, and Warrensburg, also at Col- 
umbia. When the war came on he measureably 

retired from active labors. As his sons were in 
14 



210 THK CHKISTIAN CHURCH IIT MISSOURI. 

the Southern army, he was greatly annoyed and 
harrassed by the soldiers, and in a measure strip- 
ped of whatever the opposing soldiers could con- 
sume or carry away. Towards the close of the 
war he spent a year in Kentucky, preaching as he 
had opportunity, and closing up a sister's estate. 
He then returned to Missouri and spent his remain- 
ing days on his farm, greatly "beloved and honored 
by his brethren and respected by his neighbors. 
In 1876 he fell asleep in Jesus, confident that " to 
be absent from the body is to be present with the 
Lord. " 

Elder Thomas N. Gaines, mentioned in connec- 
tion with the churches of Lafayette county, came 
from Lexington, Kentucky, in the year 1839, and 
settled at Lexington, Missouri. He was born in 
southern Kentucky, and reared, I think, in Ver- 
sailles in Woodford county, where he married a 
Miss Haden. He was in his early life a mer- 
chant, was baptized, I think, at Lexington, Ken- 
tucky, by Dr. Fishback, and commenced preach- 
ing the gospel immediately. He was about six. 
feet in height, and very slender, weighing per- 
haps not exceeding one hundred and forty-five 
pounds at any time of his life. He had black 
hair, dark eyes, and an exceedingly handsome 
face. His voice was melody itself, and whether 
he sang or spoke, he held his audience spell- 
bound. No man was ever more highly favored 
in this regard than he. He was not a classical 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 211 

scholar, but spoke and wrote his vernacular cor- 
rectly. His sermons were scriptural, and his 
exhortations charming. He was a successful 
evangelist, and multitudes were brought into 
the church through his ministry. He preached 
extensively over the counties of Lafayette, Saline, 
Ray and Carroll and established many of the 
churches that have since become prominent. He 
lived some years in Lexington but subsequently 
bought a farm south of town a few miles, where he 
lived until his removal to Howard county about 
the years 1852 or '53. While living in Lexington 
he became involved in the difficulty which existed 
in the church there for so many years, and was the 
leader and preacher for the party that went away 
from the old church and organized and built on 
South street. I have heard him regret his connec- 
tion with the difficulty as the '' one dark spot in 
his ministerial life." He was a warm-hearted 
and impulsive man, and a most generous friend, 
and it was his devotion to certain persons that 
placed him in a position which he ever afterward 
regretted. While living at Lexington^ he organ- 
ized the Christian Church at Richmond, Missouri, 
and possibly resided there a short time. I remem- 
ber an incident he related to mo in regard to his 
early ministry at Richmond. Old Daniel Patton, 
as he was familiarly called, made a merciless 
assault upon the '* Campbellites " and upon the 
young minister especially. Brother G-aines fel 



212 THE CHEISTIA]^ CHURCH 11^ MISSOUEI. 

liimself greatly outraged and determined to reply. 
But true to his cliivalric nature, he sought no ad- 
vantage. He therefore wrote to Mr. Patton, saying 
that on a certain day at the court house in Rich- 
mond he would reply to his speech delivered on 
the subject of " Campbellism," and as he expected 
to handle both the speech and the speaker with 
some severity he requested him to be present, 
when an opportunity would be given him to reply. 

In a few days the mail brought him this reply, 
Day and date : — 

" Young man : — Tarry at Jericho till your beard 
be grown out. Yours, 

Pattoi^." 

Brother Gaines used to tell this and laugh -most 
heartily. He regarded it as an evidence of the 
bigotry of the preachers, and at the same time a 
reproof to the over-confident youth, who thus pre- 
sumed to enter the contest with one who consid- 
ered himself a giant. 

After his removal to Howard he was pastor of 
the church at Fayette for some years, preaching- 
much in the country and in adjacent counties. 
While thus engaged he held many most success- 
ful meetings and was regarded as one of the most 
successful evangelists in the State. His boys com- 
ing up, he then bought a farm south of Fayette, 
on which he resided some years, and continued to 
preach through the surrounding country. While 
residing there he made a visit to Versailles, Ky. 



HISTORICAL AT^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 213 

Ms old home, and the church and people were so 
charmed with him that they persuaded him to 
remov^e to Kentucky. Renting out his farm, he 
went back to Kentucky, but while he was reason- 
ably successful there, he was not satisfied, and at 
the close of the war, he removed to Missouri. He 
then sold his farm and settled in Sedalia, where 
he remained^some time, thence to Waverly, where 
he bought property, and thence to Richmond, 
where he first began to preach. 

In 1876 I held a merting for the church at Rich- 
mond, where he was pastor. He was in feeble 
health, assisting in the meeting at the beginning, 
he contracted a cold, was taken sick and was 
never well again. He passed away peacefully 
among his old friends and in the bosom of his 
family. In the later years of his life he was not 
in accord with his brethren on some subjects, 
especially on the subject of co-operation in 
missionary work; but he died beloved and 
honored by his brethren and without a spot 
on his fair name. He lefc a widow and large 
family of children, all of whom, I believe, are 
members of the church, and useful citizens. In 
his day he did a grand work, and will live in the 
hearts of his brethren, and the good which he did 
will continue to the latest day and generation 
among men. He died of pulmonary disease, with 
which he had long been afflicted, in October, 1876, 
at the age of sixty-two years. 



214 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH i:!^" MISSOURI. 



CHAPTER YII. 
RAY cou:prTy. 

The Church at Richmond was organized by 
Elder Thomas N. Gaines, soon after Ms arrival in 
Missouri, some time in 1841. Of the early mem- 
bers I recall Hon. William Martin and family, the 
Richardson family, of which Judge Samuel A. 
Richardson, of G-allatin, Missouri, and Hon. Allen 
P. Richardson, of St. Louis, were members, the 
Jacobs, especially Clayton Jabobs, who still sur- 
vives ; Col. Charles Morehead, and soon after 
these : Dr. W. W. Moseby, and Joseph S. Hughes, 
Samuel Limerick, Joseph Shoop, Thomas Baber 
and family. Col. Ben Brown and family, and Hon. 
Mordecai Oliver. 

It will be seen that at the very beginning the 
church was composed of the very best citizens of 
the county. They met for a time in the court- 
house, but after a while a comfortable frame 
building was erected on the main street in the 
western part of the village. In this old house 
many of the ablest preachers of the church held 
meetings. Thomas IN". Gaines, Alexander Procter, 
Samuel P. Johnson, T. P. Haley, J. Waller, Rich- 
ard Morton and others served them in this old 
house as regular preachers. 

In an early day that distinguished preacher. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 215 

Elder Moses E. Lard, resided in Riclinioiid and 
was a member of the congregation. It was while 
a member of this church that he married his wife. 
Miss Mary Riffe, the daughter of Jacob and Ruth 
Biflfe, who were also members of the congregation 
from its organization. At this time brother Lard 
was a tailor and worked at his trade, both in 
Richmond and Lexington, Missouri. 

At the close of the war the congregation erected 
a neat and substantial brick church which is one 
of the most elegant meeting houses in the city. 
The congregation has continued to grow. In this 
house they have enjoyed the regular ministration 
of that veteran solder, Elder G. R. Hand, now of 
California. Elder James E. Dunn, George Plat- 
tenburg, T. N. Gaines, Preston Aker, Elder Slater 
and at ^ the date of this writing, are exceedingly 
prosperous under the ministry of Elder James C. 
Creel, late of Kentucky. 

The writer resided in Richmond in the years 
1857 and 1858, and recalls his residence and min- 
istry there as two of the most pleasant years of 
his life. During these years a school was estab- 
lished under the auspices of the church, and Pro- 
fessor James M. Dunning and his most accomp- 
lished wife were employed to take charge of it. 
Its patronage was quite liberal and the school 
quite successful for a time, but as the mutterings 
of the civil war were heard, like many cherished 
enterprises in Missouri, it was abandoned, but an 



216 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

educational spirit had been created which resulted 
in making Richmond a strong supporter of educa- 
tional institutions. The writer has made frequent 
visits and held protracted meetings there through 
many years. In 1861, and just at the beginning 
of the war, he and Elder Joseph Waller held a 
meeting there in which about forty persons were 
added to the church. In 1876 he also assisted 
Elder T. N. Graines in a meeting, in which about 
fifty persons were added to the church, the larger 
part of whom were heads of families. One man 
and his wife who were past seventy years of age 
made the good confession and were baptized. 
Again in 1881 another meeting was held in which 
quite a number of the good citizens obeyed the 
gospel. The past year has witnessed a large in 
gathering under the labors of the present 4)astor. 
During both the last meetings referred to, that dis- 
tinguished citizen and humble disciple of Christ, 
General A. W. Doniphan, who resided here was 
present at almost every service. 

In an early day churches were organized at 
Knoxville in the northwestern, and at Millville in 
the northern, and at Elk-horn in the western part 
of the county. Of these organizations lean not give 
any certain information. They were perhaps all 
of them the result of the labor of Thomas N. 
Gaines. 

The congregation at Knoxville has, I think, been 
absorbed by a' neighboring congregation ; the one 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 217 

at Elkhorn, never large, has been scattered ; tlie 
one at Millville still exists, and while not verj 
flourishing, still keeps the ordinances. At this 
place or in the vicinity resided for many years 
that firm and steadfast disciple, Samuel JNTuckolds, 
now of Austin, Texas; also Thomas Fowler. To 
these two men more than to any others is prob- 
ably due the fact that this congregation still 
lives. 

In later years the congregation at South Point, 
in the southwestern part of the county, was organ- 
ized by Elder Moses E. Lard. This congregation 
has been made famous throughout the churches 
by the remarkable article published in Lard's 
Quarterly, entitled "Dick and South Point." 
Many years prior to this, however, the primitive 
gospel had been preached in this community by 
that old man eloquent, Elder Jacob Warriner, 
father of Willis Warriner, now of Richmond. The 
seed which produced such a glorious harvest, 
under the immediate ministry of Moses E. Lard 
had been sown by this good man. This church 
has always had a large membership and has had 
for the most part regular preaching. They have 
been served by Elder Richard Morton, P. Aker, 
G. R. Hand, and others. 

Many years ago I made them a visit and was 
most hospitably entertained by Abram Riffe, 
whose family were prominent members of the con- 
gregation. In the year 1856 or 1857 Elder Moses 



218 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

E. Lard constitruted a church in the northeastern 
part of the county, at Riffe's schoolhouse. This 
congregation was in a large part the result of the 
zeal and faithfulness and liberality of W. C. Riffe, 
after whom the schoolhouse had been named. A 
meeting-house was subsequently erected, but 
probably during the war the congregation went 
to pieces. Morton, however, a village not far 
away, having sprung up, a congregation was 
formed there, chiefly through the influences of 
John P. Hubbell, who now resides in Columbia, 
and Thomas J. Porter now of Sedalia, both of 
whom resided at Morton for a time. Since the 
removal of these brethren a congregation has been 
organized at Hardin, on the Wabash railway, and 
this congregation has been absorbed. Some years 
ago brother N. B. Peeler, a most faithful preacher, 
having settled on a farm northeast of Richmond 
organized a congregation in his neighborhood to 
which he and others have ministered, and which 
still maintains its existence and keeps the ordi- 
nances. At one time a small church was consti- 
tuted at Camden, but on account of numerical 
weakness, and proximity to Richmond and South 
Point it has never accomplished very much for 
the cause. 

Of all the ministers who served the congrega- 
tions it is impossible to write. In addition to 
those mentioned, Barton Y. Gross, who married 
Mary Nuckolds, of Millville, should be men- 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 219 

tioned. This young minister gave great promise 
of usefulness ; naturally gifted and a graduate of 
Bethany College, much was expected of him. But 
he fell an early victim of that ''fell destroyer" 
consumption, and passed to his reward. Richard 
Morton and Moses E. Lard have gone to their 
reward, but they will be noticed in the sketch of 
Clay county, as they were both citizens of that 
county for a number of years. 



220 THE CHEISTIAl^ CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

CHAPTER yill. 

CAEEOLL COmSTTY. 

The first congregation was formed in Carrollton, 
December 21st, in the year 1845, by Elder Thomas 
'N. Gaines. The organization of the church there 
resulted from what would be denominated an acci- 
dent, by most men. One J. W. Sandusky came to 
the northern part of the county and settled on a 
farm. He was not a member of any church, but 
in some way became interested in the subject of 
religion. Like thousands of others he became 
confused by the conflicting and contradictory 
teaching of the sects, and he was anxiously study- 
ing the Bible. On one occasion he was riding 
along the highway, and seeing a pamphlet lying 
in the road he dismounted and secured it. To his 
great joy it was a pamphlet on the subject of 
religion and tui'ned out to be a " Millennial Har- 
inger extra'''' on the remission of sins. He 
read it carefully, compared its teachings with 
the New Testament and was convinced. He 
inquired diligently for a preacher of " that way," 
and ascertained that Elder Jacob Warriner, of 
E-ay county, represented the sentiments of the 
" extra." He mounted his horse and rode forty 
miles to be immersed on a confession of his faith 
in Christ, for the remission of sins. He found the 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 221 

man of God, made tlie good confession, was bap- 
tized and went on his way (home) rejoicing. While 
in Ray connty he heard the eloquent and zealous 
young Gaines, and anxious that his neighbors 
should hear the truth, he invited and urged him to 
come to Carrollton to preach the gospel. When 
brother Gaines reached the town there was not a 
brother in the town to entertain him. Brother 
Sandusky resided some ten miles away, so he 
"put up" at the tavern kept by a most zealous 
Eaptist. When the preacher went to leave he del- 
icately informed brother Sandusky that he did 
not have the money to pay the hotel bill. Taking 
brother S. with him to assume the bill they found 
the charge, in their judgment, somewhat e'xhorbi- 
tant. Sandusky remonstrated, but was gravely 
informed that preachers of that heresy were not 
wanted in Carrollton, and if they stopped at his 
hotel they must pay for their entertainment. The 
bill was paid, of course, but when this incident 
became known in the community, great indigna- 
tion was manifested, the preacher was invited to 
return, houses were thrown open to him, and from 
that time to the day of his death Thomas N". 
Gaines never wanted for a lodging place in Car- 
rollton, nor indeed in Carroll county. 

Among the early members of the church in Car- 
rollton were the Tull family, the Wilcoxens, the 
Folgers, the Hills, the Maggards, the Stanleys, 
Wallings, the Darrs, who lived in the country, the 



222 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

Sanduskys and Wrights. Later came that sterling 
man and his accomplished wife, Captain and Mrs. 
James Pritchard. When I first knew CarroUton, 
in 1853, he and Dr. TuU were the most zealous, 
active and influential members there. Old brother 
E.OJ had also united with the church from the 
Baptists, and he and his daughters were also zeal- 
ous and active. 

Brother Gaines continued to preach for them 
perhaps till his removal to Howard county. Elder 
George Flint, of Gallatin, Missouri, was also their 
preacher for a time. In the year 1852, that emi- 
nent scholar, James Shannon, President of Mis 
souri University, and the popular evangelist Elder 
D. P. Henderson, held a meeting there, in which a 
number of persons were added to the church. It 
was in !Movember, 1853, when the writer of these 
pages, then just twenty-one years of age past, 
reached Carrollton, as the accredited evangelist of 
the churches and people in the third Congres- 
sional District, composed of the counties of north- 
east Missouri, of which Carroll, Livingston and 
Mercer were the western boundary, and Howard, 
Randolph, Monroe and Marion the southern. He 
carried letters from the " executive board " of the 
district, whose headquarters were Columbia, and 
also a letter of introduction from A. Johnson of 
Brunswick, Missouri (now of Hale City, Carroll 
county. Mo.), to Dr. Walling. Presenting his let- 
ters, he was soon made comfortable in the home 



HISTORICAL AND BIOaRAPHIGAL SKETCHES. 22S 

of Dr. Walling, who had just completed a nice 
frame house, about the best then in the city. 
When shown to his room he was informed that 
that was the ''prophets' chamber," and had been 
built with a special view to the entertainment and 
comfort of preachers. Of course this was very 
grateful and assuring to a "boy preacher" who 
was on his first preaching tour alone. 

This meeting commenced on Sunday morning. 
The congregation had been without preaching, for 
sometime ; the preacher was a mere youth, and a 
stranger ; the plea was exceedingly unpopular. It 
is not strange, therefore, that the congregation 
was very small. The preacher, however, did his 
best, and consideraBle interest and some feeling 
were manifested. He went back to dinner with 
his host, and while out walking in the afternoon 
he was overtaken by a messenger who brought 
him an invitation to take supper with Hiram Wil- 
coxen, whose wife was a member, but an invalid 
who had not been able to be at church in the 
morning. The invitation was accepted, and here 
for the first time he met Captain and Mrs. Pritch- 
ard. He will never forget their cordial greeting 
and hearty words of encouragement. Mrs. Pritch- . 
ard spoke kindly of the sermon and assured him 
that " his coming was like a sunbeam piercing 
through a dark cloud." Sister Pritchard was 
always poetical and the preacher was young ; of 
course he was pleased and encouraged. To his 



224 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

surprise at niglit tlie house was filled to overflow- 
ing, and the meeting continued to the middle of 
the week without any visible results, as to addi- 
tions. On Wednesday night the meeting closed 
with a fine congregation present, but as there were 
no additions, and from Sunday to Wednesday was 
in those days a long meeting, and as the young 
preacher had been speaking constantly for about 
three weeks, it was deemed advisable to close the 
meeting. On Thursday Dr. Tull induced the 
preacher to ride down into the country eight miles 
a-nd make a visit to the family of brother P. B. 
Darr. Thus commenced the acquaintance and 
friendship with that dear family which ripened 
into affection which has never been interrupted. 
Among all the friends the preacher has had, and 
he has had many, he has ever held himself under 
greater obligations to dear brother and sister P. B. 
Darr than to any other. In their home he lived 
for more than two years. While there he was 
married, and brought his young wife from a home 
of comparative luxury, and such was their kind- 
ness, that in a large measure compensation was 
made for her sacrifice in becoming the wife of a 
poor, homeless preacher. Here his first child was 
born, and no mother ever cared for a daughter 
more tenderly than did this dear Christian woman 
care for this young mother. 

When he felt constrained to remove to another 
field of labor he could not prevail upon them to 



HISTORJCAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 225 

accept one cent in the way of compensation. We 
parted from tliem in tears and have ever felt 
oppressed with the weight of obligation to them. 
It is some relief to bear this public testimony to 
their disinterested friendship and Christian kind- 
ness. Dear brother D. went home to rest during 
the dark days of the war, and it was so ordered 
that he died in the house of my dear old aunt, 
Mrs. Hut sell, in Randolph county, and lies buried 
by the side of my father and mother in the old 
family burying-ground. His aged wife, one of the 
loveliest Christian women I have ever known, still 
lingers on the shores of time awaiting the sum- 
mons to join him who has gone before. May the 
good Father smoothe her pathway to the grave, 
and give her peace in the end. Mrs. Darr resides 
with her son William Z. Darr, whom I immersed 
while I resided in the family. He has been a suc- 
cessful business man and has been able to provide 
every comfort for his family and takes very great 
pleasure, as do his children, in making his mother 
happy in her declining years. 

Returning to the meeting in Carrollton. After 
spending the day, and returning with the doctor 
in the afternoon, a number of requests came in 
that he should preach once more at least. Accord- 
ingly the bell was rung and a large congregation 
assembled. At the close of the sermon an invita- 
tion was given, and several persons came forward 
to make the good confession ; among the number 

15 



226 THE CHRISTIAIS* CHURCH IN MISSOUEI. 

were Miss M. A. Rea, afterwards Mrs. C. B. Kava- 
naugli, and Mrs. John W. Clinkscales ; Mr. Clink- 
scales was at that time the sheriff of the county. 
After retiring that night a messenger was sent to 
the preacher saying that Mr. C. desired to see him 
at his house. Not knowing whether he was dis- 
pleased that his wife had made the confession or 
whether he desired instruction for himself, he went 
without hesitation with the messenger. On arriv- 
ing at his house, he found Mr. C. greatly excited. 
His greeting was something like the following: 
" Sir, I heard your sermon to-night, though I was 
not in the house. I was greatly interested. I 
have been trying to become a Christian, and now 
that my wife has made the start I am anxious to 
go with her. Will you please tell me what I 
ought to do to be saved ?" 

Like Phillip of old, I began " at the same scrip- 
ture and preached unto him Jesus," and invoked 
the blessing of God upon him as an honest seeker 
after the truth. When I concluded, he said, "Sir, 
I do believe in the Lord Jesus with all my heart, 
and if I feel to-morrow morning as I do to-night, I 
will meet you at the water to be baptized with my 
wife and my neighbors." The next morning when 
we met at the water's edge Mr. C. was there ready 
to obey the Lord Jesus, and like those who in 
early times gladly received His word, was bap- 
tized and went on his way rejoicing. The meeting 
was continued till Saturday morning, the last 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 227 

meetins: beins- at the water to administer the ordi- 
nance of baptism. On the first of the following 
year I commenced preaching regularly at Carroll- 
ton, and served them for a part of the time for the 
four years succeeding. During the time that I 
was their preacher not less than two hundi'ed per- 
sons were received into the church and when I left 
them they were one of the stroAg congregations, 
for that time, in the State. 

During all these years the meetings were held 
in the old Baptist church. Some of the friends of 
the Christian church had assisted somewhat in 
building it, and were kindly permitted to use it, 
nntil the church was strong enough to build a 
house for themselves, which they did, erecting the 
commodious house in which they now worship. 
During my sojourn with them meetings were held 
at Mandaville in the northern part of the county, 
at HuiTicane in the south-eastern part, at ^WTiite 
Rock, in the dwelling house of sister Kendrick, at 
the school-house near brother P. B. Darr's, and at 
Hills' Landing six miles south of Carrollton on the 
Missouri river with an occasional sermon at old 
old Moss Creek church, between Carrollton and 
where the town of Xorbonne now stands. 

The chui'ch at Carrollton subsequently enjoyed 
the labors of James A. Meng, T\"illiam Henry Rob- 
inson, Dennis Grandfield, E. R. Childers, William 
Meloan, R. M. Messick, and now have as pastor 
young brother Ellet, son of Alexander Ellet, so 



228 THE CHRISTIATf CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

well known in Kansas as one of our strong preach- 
ers. Protracted meetings were held there by 
Moses E. Lard, John W. McGrarvey, and Thomas 
jS". Gaines. They were also visited frequently by 
that great and good man, Elder Jacob Creath of 
Palmyra, Mo. Elder Joseph Carter also resided 
and taught in CarroUton and in the county, and 
often preached for the church but whether as pas- 
tor or not I do not now recall. Russel Pritchard 
of Columbus Indiana and Jasper J. Moss of Ohio, 
were also occasional visitors, and preached for 
them. 

The congregation at Mandaville was organized 
at an early date by John W. Shudy, who labored 
as black-smith during the week, and preached to 
his neighbors on Sunday. I recall the names of 
Thomas Suggs, Smith, Shirley and Farris as mem- 
bers, when I first visited them as early as January 
1854. 

I remember them for their kindness and hospi- 
tality. Meetings were held in the private houses 
of the members and as the people were widely 
scattered and many of them lived at great distance 
from the place of meeting it was not an unusual 
thing for the brother at whose house the meeting- 
was held to feed the larger part of the congrega- 
tion and take care of the horses and mules and 
oxen which brought them. 

I remember well preaching on one evening in the 
^oldest weather of January at the house of brother 



HISTOKICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 229 

John Shirley. He was a new comer, had pnt up 
his log house and covered it with boards, but the 
roof was not proof against a driving snow which 
was falling. After the audience had dispersed a 
huge log fire was burning in the broad generous 
chimney, called " the fire-place," when I retired. 
I was soon asleep, but after awhile awoke to find 
my kind host brushing the snow out of my hair, 
and off my pillow and shaking the covering. He 
was determined that the preacher should be com- 
fortable, even if he did lose a night's sleep. It 
was the custom in that neighborhood in those 
days, to have supper ''after meeting" for the rea- 
son, it was said, that " many of the neighbors 
would want to stay and talk with the preacher, 
and then the tired preacher would want something 
to eat after the labor of preaching the sermon." 

I remember too that this neighborhood even in 
that early day, enjoyed the preaching of several 
''regular Baptist preachers" called "Hard 
shells." One of the peculiarities of these preach- 
ers in that day was that they claimed not to study 
their sermons (which one could very readily 
believe after hearing them) and that they gave 
their message to the people just as the Lord gave 
it to them. Many of the peox)le believed them but 
some doubted. It was not unusual for the minis- 
ter to find on his table (where he had one) a note 
requesting him to preach on " Election and Fore- 
ordination," on "Total Depravity," on "Falling 



230 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

from Grace," on " Eternal punishment," etc., evi- 
dently believing tliat all lie liad to do was to stand 
up and open his mouth and the message would 
be given him to deliver. I recall how I suffered 
in the estimation of some when in reply to these 
and similiar requests, I very frankly confessed 
that I did not know anything about the subjects, 
and could not preach on them till I should have 
time to examine the word of God. 

The congregation has continued from that date. 
I can not name the preachers who have served 
them. S. W. Shively moved from them to Kansas 
about the close of the war, and since that time I 
have not been familiar with their history. 

A congregation was organized about the year 
1857, in what is known as Hurricane township. A 
great meeting was held there by William H. Rob- 
inson, but of its subsequent history I am not 
advised. It is my impression that a brother 
Owens, who settled in that part of the county, has 
continued there, and kept the church up. 

Another congregation was organized at Be Witt, 
composed originally largely of the members who 
had resided in the '' White Rock " settlement and 
in the neighborhood of the " Cochran School- 
house." This congregation is still in existence, 
has regular preaching and keeps the ordinances. 

Some years later a congregation was organized 
in the thriving town of JVbrbonne, on the railroad 
west of CarroUton. A neat and commodious house 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 231 

of worship was erected, and a good working 
church established. Of the first members of this 
cliurch I recall the names of Thomas White and 
family, May M. Burton and family and Dr. Brown. 
They have had as preachers. Elder James A. 
Berry, Samuel McDaniel, William Meloan and 
others whose names I do not recall now. 

Some years since a debate was held here 
between Elder D. E,. Lucas, of Iowa, and Mr. 
Underwood, the infidel. Of the result of this 
debate I am not advised, but take it for granted 
that the vtctory was on the side of brother Lucas, 
because he was on the side of truth. 

Other congregations more recently formed I 
have heard of, but have no material for even the 
slightest sketch. There is a church at Hale City 
and one at Battsville. 

Of the preachers who have served the congrega- 
tions in Carroll, and who have gone home to their 
reward, I recall the name of James A. Meng. He 
was born in Kentucky about the year 1828 or '30. 
His parents died when he was quite young, and he 
resided in Calloway county with his uncle. Dr. 
Samuel Y. Meng. He united with the church at a 
meeting held at New Bloomfield in Calloway 
county about the year 1850, by Elder D. P. Hen- 
derson and others. He was at that time in the 
employ of Daniel B. Whyte, a zealous and liberal 
brother, who having no children of his own, deter- 
mined to educate him for the ministry. He was 



232 THE CHRISTIAIS- CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

accordingly entered as a student in tlie Missouri 
University about the beginning of the session of 
1851. He was a good student and made very sat- 
isfactory progress for two years, when he deter- 
mined to go to Bethany College, where he gradu- 
ated in 1853 or '54. While at Bethany he was 
married to Mrs. Anna Posten, nee Miss Anna 
Campbell, of the Bethany family, a daughter of a 
distant cousin of Alexander Campbell. On his 
return to Missouri he entered the school at Pal- 
myra taught by Dr. Hopson and L. B. Wilkes, as 
assistant teacher. He remained there for about 
one year and came to Carrollton as teacher and 
preacher. 

Brother Meng was a fair speaker, a good scholar 
and a thoroughly good man. He was about five 
feet nine inches in height, and weighed probably 
one hundred and thirty -five pounds. He had a 
remarkably large head, a projecting forehead, and 
a rather thin visage. His body was loosely put 
together, and even in his youth he was fragile 
and weak. His feeble health and somewhat hasty 
temper were great hindrances to him in the minis- 
try. He rarely remained in one place more than 
one year, and was never regarded as a successful 
preacher, either as pastor or evangelist. He was 
exceedingly fond of writing for the religious press, 
and loved especially to bear a part in the discus- 
sions and controversies so common in the years 
gone by. He lived and preached in various 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 233 

places in Missouri and Kentucky, and at last 
settled in Moberly, where he died some two or 
three years since. He died, feeling that he had 
not been understood or appreciated by his breth- 
ren, and regretting that his life had not been more 
useful. 

Knowing him intimately as I did, I can truly 
say that I believe that James A. Meng was a con- 
scientious, honest Christian man, and that he sin- 
cerely desired to do good, but he was not fitted 
by his nature for the ministry, and neither grace 
nor culture could supply to him what nature had 
denied him. 

William Henry Robinson was born in Boone 
county Missouri and belonged to the large family 
of that name, so prominent in both Boone and 
Howard county as lawyers and politicians. Will- 
iam Henry was educated in part in the Missouri 
University, studied law and commenced the prac- 
tice in Morgan county. Afterwards he came to 
Columbia and was admitted to the bar in that 
city. 

While here he united with the church, and was 
urged by that venerable man of God, Thomas M. 
Allen, to prepare himself for the ministry. He 
yielded to the persuasion of brother Allen and 
entered Bethany College and was graduated in the 
class of 1855 or 1856. He returned to Missouri 
and after preaching at several points in Boone and 
Howard, he was employed by the congregation at 



234 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

Miami, in Saline county. Soon after this lie was 
married to Miss Eobertson, daughter of William 
Kobertson, one of the officers of the congregation. 
He continued to reside at Miami until the break- 
ing out of the war, preaching extensively in the 
counties of Saline, Lafayette, Howard, Clay, Ray, 
and Carroll. 

During the war he went South, and by exposure 
and hardship, was broken down in health. His 
eyesight became seriously impaired, and he came 
home to become totally blind. He continued how- 
ever to preach extensively, being led about by his 
brethren, till he was attacked by imflammatory 
rheumatism and was compelled to abandon his 
labors. He became utterly helpless and a great 
sufferer. For better facilities for the education of 
his children he removed to Columbia, where he 
died, greatly regretted by all who knew him. 

He was about five feet nine inches in height and 
weighed, when in health, probably one hundred 
and seventy -five pounds. He had red hair and a 
florid complexion, and steel grey eyes. He was a 
man of large brain and exceedingly vigorous 
intellect. Although a graduate he was not a 
scholarly man ; he was exceedingly fond of read- 
ing the newspapers and current literature, but was 
never a close student of text-books. He had a fine 
voice and was a natural orator; moving his audi- 
ence and holding them spell-bound at his pleas- 
ure. He was thoroughly familiar with the issues 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 235 

"between Ms brethren and the denominations. He 
knew, perfectly, the lines of attack and defense, 
and was never so happy as when hotly engaged in 
the discussion of these differences. He contented 
himself with preaching first principles and was 
therefore an evangelist and not a pastor, and 
although he resided many years with one congre- 
gation, even to them he was never a pastor. Had 
he been studious, and of the temperament and 
habits of the pastor he would have been one of the 
grandest men of his day. As it was he will be 
remembered chiefly as a protracted meeting 
preacher of great power. 



236 THE CHPwISTIAIT CHUECH I]^- MISSOURI. 

CHAPTER IX. 

CHAEITOISr COUNTY. 

As early as 1850 there was a small congregation 
in Brunswick^ probably constituted by Allen 
Wright. Among the first disciples there were : 
Mrs. Dr. Edwin Price and her son Sterling, after- 
wards professor in the Missouri University, and an 
acceptable preacher of the gospel. Greorge W. 
Brawner and wife, Adamantine Johnson, Dr. Wil- 
liam H. Beddow and John Allega and family who 
resided in the country some miles north of the 
town. Dr. W. H. Hopson while " State Evangelist" 
under the direction of the old State Meeting made 
several visits to them and had a number of addi- 
tions. In the year 1853, Elder D. P. Henderson 
and the venerable Jacob Creath held a meeting 
there, when a number of others were baptized 
among the number Henry Davis, then sheriff of the 
county. In the year 1853, I visited them under 
the employ of the third district co-operation, and 
preached several days, and had several additions. 
In January, 1854, I commenced preaching there 
twice a month and continued their preacher until 
January, 1857. During these years the church 
grew in numbers and influence. Protracted meet- 
ing were held in which Elder M. E. Lard, T. N. 
Gaines and J. N. Wright were the preachers. Up 



HISTORICAL A^^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 237 

to the year 1854, the little band had held all their 
meetings in the old City Hall, which was an upper 
room over the market house and calaboose. 

During the year 1854, an arrangement was 
made with Rev. Mr. Beebee, the pastor of the New 
School Presbyterian church, by which we occupied 
their house one half of the time. This arrange- 
ment was secured through the influence of that 
most excellent friend of the church, Dr. Edwin 
Price and brother A. Johnson, who was the first 
elder of the congregation. After I left them 
brother Ben H. Smith, now of Canton, Mo., was 
their preacher, and it was during his administra- 
tion that an elegant brick church was erected on 
a commanding site on the bluffs that then over- 
looked much of the city. The breaking out of 
the war found a debt on the church and it was 
sold under execution, falling into the hands of the 
M. E. church. The church was scattered and for 
a time it was thought all was lost. But the disci- 
ples who had remained citizens and some breth- 
ren who had moved in from other churches rallied 
the forces, and urged by a few zealous sisters, an- 
other most excellent house was erected which they 
have continued to occupy. Brother W. H. Plun- 
kett and his son James, whom I baptized in his 
boyhood, have been the main props of the church 
there for many years. Since the war and especi- 
ally since the completion of their new house of 
worship, they have for the most part maintained 



238 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

preaching, and kept the ordinances. Brother J, 
H. Carter of Carroll, brother Phil Bruton now of 
California, brother R. N. Davis and brother Will- 
iam Meloan also now in California, have resided 
and preached there. 

Brother I^. E,. Davis moved there during the 
past year, and commenced preaching, but I be- 
lieve California has also captured him. Bruns- 
wick church seems to have a sort of depot of sup- 
ply for the golden State. 

In the year 1860, a debate was held between 
that distinguished Methodist minister, R,ev. W. G. 
Caples and Elder Moses E. Lard. The churches 
of the city were not large enough to hold the great 
audience that attended, and it was therefore held 
in a great tobacco warehouse. The baptismal 
question in all its phases, and the work of the 
Holy Spirit were the questions in debate. It is 
safe to say it was the largest concourse of people 
and preachers that ever gathered in Brunswick. 
There were preachers on both sides from every 
part of the State, and many from other States, to 
hear these champions. 

Elder John Smith (known as " Raccoon " John 
Smith) was one of the attractions of the occasion. 
Many persons were as much interested in seeing 
and hearing him as they were in the debate. The 
contest continued for ten or twelve days. The 
speeches of the debaters were taken down by a 
stenographer at the expense of Elder John Sidenor 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 239 

of Chillicotlie and were to have been published, 
but the war came on before the manuscript was 
prepared for the press, and although the stenog- 
rapher was paid for his work the manuscript was 
never produced. This was much regretted, for 
without any intention to disparage other debates 
held both before and after this one, I have no hes- 
itation in pronouncing this the ablest and most 
exhaustive ever held in the State. Dr. TV. H. 
Hopson, then in his prime, delighted large audi- 
ences which convened in the Christian church to 
hear him. He was at that time pastor of the 
church in Lexington, Kentucky. 

Elder John Lindsay of Illinois, at that time pas- 
tor of the church at Palmyra, Mo., was also pres- 
ent and preached one evening. Many who heard 
the debate pronounced the debatants the strogn 
est men in the State. It was not strange there 
fore that (as usual) each party claimed the vic- 
tory and each party was perfectly satisfied with 
the result. 

In the year 1854, there was a small band of dis- 
ciples in the " ForJcs of Cliariton^^'* east of Keyts- 
ville, organized by Elder William Burton of How- 
ard county, Mo. Brother James N. Wright and 
myself preached there for a few days, and bap- 
tized an eccentric school teacher as the immediate 
result of the meeting. The preaching was done in 
the woods under the shade of the spreading trees; 



240 THE CHRISTIAI^ CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

the people sat on logs and all sorts of seats impro- 
vised for the occasion. 

Of the subsequent history of the church I have 
no information. Since the war congregations have 
1been established at Saulsbmy in the eastern part 
of the county, also at Cunningham and New Com- 
er's schoohouse in the western and northern part, 
also at Rothville in the extreme northern part of 
the county. 

Among the preachers who preached in Chariton 
in an early day was a young brother Terrell whose 
initials I do not now recall. He was the step-son 
of old brother John Allega. He was a bright 
young man, a fluent speaker, elegant manners, and 
popular with all who knew him. He was frail 
and delicate and died early, greatly regretted by 
the brethren and sincerely mourned by his family. 

In recent years the churches in Chariton have 
maintained a County Co-operation and a good 
part of the time have sustained a county evangel- 
ist. Elder Henry D. Eubanks, of Saline county, 
has been their evangelist, and is credited with 
having accomplished much good among the 
churches and the people. 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 241 



CHAPTER X. 

MACON AND SHELBY COUNTIES. 

As early as 1849, there was a congregation in 
old Bloomington, then the county seat. It was 
constituted, I think, by Elder Allen Wright sev- 
eral years prior to that time. I recall the names 
of P. A. McCall, William and Sam Fox (and their 
families), brothers of J. C. Fox of Paris, Mo., a 
brother Prather and Isaac Foster already men- 
tioned in these pages, occasionally held meetings 
there in the old Court house, and quite a con- 
gregation was gathered up. No meeting house 
was ever erected there. In the year 1854, a " dis- 
trict meeting " was held there composed of dele- 
gates from the churches in the counties composing 
the 3d congressional district. At that meeting I 
recall the names of Elder Jacob Creath, D. P. Hen- 
derson, W. C. Boone, Alexander Procter, James N. 
Wright and O. P. Davis, then not a great while 
from the Baptist church. At that meeting James 
N. Wright and myself were appointed evangelists 
to travel and preach, especially to hold meetings 
in the county seats of the counties composing the 
district. Our salaries were fixed at $400 and we 
furnished our own horses and paid our own travel- 
ling expenses. There was also at this time a con- 

16 



242 THK CHEISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

gregation in the south western part of the county 
in the "Wright neighborhood" where several 
brothers of Elder Allen Wright lived. It was con- 
stituted by him even before the church at Bloom- 
ington was organized. 

In 1854, brother James JM. Wright and I held a 
meeting there in which quite a number of persons 
obeyed the gospel. This meeting was also held 
in the woods, under the shade of the trees. I 
remember well a scene which occurred at one of 
the meetings. Two large cur dogs, which had fol- 
lowed their owners to the meeting, engaged in a 
fierce fight, right in the midst of the congregation, 
while brother Wright was preaching, and in the 
midst of his most eloquent exhortation. He pau- 
sed and said : " Brethren, will some of you attend 
to these dogs?" and then, exhorting them to leave 
their dogs at home, declared solemnly that he had 
"never known a dog's morals improved by attend- 
ing church." The dogs were driven out, and he 
proceeded with his exhortation. If these brethren 
enjoyed the luxury of a meeting house I do not 
now recall it, but I have heard that they have 
since the war built a comfortable house of wor- 
ship. 

The church at Macon was organized before the 
war, and enjoyed the labors of Elder J. N. Wright, 
J. M. Long, P. K. Dibble, E. B. Hedd, R. M. Gid- 
dens, and others. It has a beautiful and comfort- 
able house of worship. It was composed at first 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 243 

of a number of persons who had been members of 
the old organization at Bloomington. Anderson 
Terrell and family, P. A. McCall and family, W. 
J. Cave and family, William Fox and family, B. 
G. Barrow and family. After some years, Mrs. 
Judge John Henry, Mrs. Ada Fagin. The church 
has had a constant struggle to maintain its exist- 
ence and at times has been greatly discouraged, 
but for some time now is reported as doing well. 
Bro. George E. Dew was also at one time their 
preacher. Brother R. M. Giddens now " holds the 
fort." 

In 1869 the State meeting was held there. What 
became famous as the Louisville plan of mission- 
ary work, was practically inaugurated there. 
The preachers agreed to pay a State agent out 
of their own pockets to go abroad over the State 
and set in order the things that were wanting. 
Elder A. B. Jones was chosen for the work, and 
by his fine ability, his zeal and industry, 
he inaugurated a new era among the churches. 
Under his administration the whole State was 
organized for effective missionary work, and had 
the plan which he inaugurated been persistently 
pressed, the churches would have reached an effec- 
tive co-operation long before they did. The plan, 
however, was modified from time to time in the 
hope of conciliating objectors, till it was demon- 
strated that it was not so much the plan of work 
that was objected to as it was the work itself. It 



244 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

is a remarkable fact that those who objected most 
earnestly to the Louisville plan, have never yet 
found any plan for uniting the churches in co-op- 
erative work for the spread of the gospel. There 
are other churches in the county more recently 
organized, but of their history no information has 
been obtained. 



SHELBY COUNTY. 

Some time between the years 1830 and 1835 a 
congregation was organized near Shelbyville, 
which subsequently .formed the nucleus of the 
church there. It is thought the first preaching 
done there was by Elder Frederick Shoot, whose 
name has already been mentioned in these pages. 
They were also visited by Elder Jacob Creath, 
who greatly assisted in building them up. Among 
the early members there, were the Gooches, the 
Jacobs and Collins. In the year 1854 brother J. 
^. Wright and myself spent a few days there. 
We found only the remains of what had once been 
a congregation of disciples. They met in an old 
dilapidated brick house which was just ready to 
topple over. Nothing could be accomplished 
there, but some years later chiefly through the 
instrumentality of brother James Collin, preach- 
ing was secured and the cause revived. A vener- 
able old man, whose name I do not recall, gave 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 245 

me an account some years ago of the struggles 
through which the cause in the county had passed. 
One or two congregations in the north western 
part of the county had been constituted in an 
early day, but finding it impossible to secure reg- 
ular preaching, they had been unable to accom- 
plish much for the Master, and duiing the war 
were widely Scattered and broken up. Perhaps 
the most prominent church in the county for the 
last twenty years has been the Shelbina church. 
It has had the services of most of the preachers 
residing in Monroe counry, and more recently was 
under the ministration of that earnest and success- 
ful preacher of the gospel Elder E. C. Browning 
now located at Palmyra, Missouri. 



246 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

CHAPTER XI. 

CLARK, LEWIS AND SCOTLAND COUNTIES. 

I have made an effort to gather some informa- 
tion in regard to the churches and pioneer preach- 
ers of these counties. The following letter from 
brother Hickman in regard to the churches and 
ministry is all that can Ibe obtained. 

Canton, Mo., Febuary 27th, 1884. 

Dear Brotlier Haley: — Yours requesting some 
facts as to the early pioneers of our plea in Lewis, 
Clark and Scotland counties were received a few 
days ago. I fear, however, that my experience is 
too short to give you the desired information. But 
I will do the best I can. Brother D. P. Henderson 
and J. C. Risk are better posted than I am. 

Perhaps the first, oldest and most efficient evan- 
gelist who is still living, and is now eighty years 
of age is John Shanks, Sr. He has been in Lewis 
county fifty years or more. He is a native of Ken- 
tucky. He commenced preaching the ancient gos- 
ple soon after settling in the county. We had no 
church houses then and he preached in school- 
houses, private houses, barns, warehouses, in the 
woods and wherever he could get the people to- 
gether. He was greatly instrumental in planting 
our cause in Lewis county, in which we now have 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 247 

fourteen organized diurches with an aggregate 
membership of fifteen hundred. 

Brother and sister Shanks are the parents of ten 
children ; four daughters and six sons, and about 
iifty grand-children, all of whom that are old 
enough are members of the Christian church, and 
not a " black sheep " in the whole flock. This 
grand old man and his good wife celebrated their 
golden wedding several years ago and had a fam- 
ily reunion, when all who were alive were present, 
forming a group of over sixty. They surrounded 
the old patriarch and his wife, and were photo- 
graphed. The picture now hangs upon the 
walls of each family, also in many other houses 
in the neighborhood. One of the sons — John 
Shanks Jr. — ^is also a good preacher, and has done 
much good work for our cause in the county. All 
the sons and daughters are married and settled on 
good farms within a radius of ten miles around the 
old homestead. The old man is now calmly and 
peacefully awaiting the Master's call, " come up 
higher." He is ready and willing. He has also 
done much to plant the cause in Clark and Scot- 
land counties where he has held many protracted 
meetings. Another pioneer preacher who was 
some years ago called to his reward, brother John 
Matlock, was a co-laborer with brother Shanks in 
Lewis and Clark. He was an able and efficient 
preacher and brought many persons into the king- 
dom of God. He has three sons and a daughter 



248 THE CHRISTIAIf CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

living in Kahokia, the county seat of Clark 
county. 

Brother D. P. Henderson also did much good in 
holding successful meetings in the early as well 
as in the later history of our cause in Lewis. He 
is now in feeble health, and will soon in the course 
of nature go to his reward. Old brother Jacob 
Creath has labored much in Lewis county in days 
gone by, and brought many persons into the king- 
dom of Christ. Our much lamented brother Sam- 
uel S. Church held several successful meetings in 
Canton many years ago. Brother Peter Bonan 
held several successful meetings in Canton many 
years ago. Brother Peter Donan held a meeting 
in Canton some fifteen years ago, with nearly one 
hundred additions. Brother Knowles Shaw also 
received eighty persons at one of his meetings in 
Canton. Brother Ben H. Smith has done a good 
work in Canton, as well as at many other points 
in the county. He is regarded as one of our ablest 
men. He is now the preacher of the Canton church, 
devoting his whole ministerial labors to the church 
here. 

Professor Joseph H. Carter has labored much in 
Lewis county and with considerable success. He 
is a fine scholar, and is now professor of languages 
in the University, and preaches for the church at 
LaGrange. Brother J. T. J^ewnan who resides here 
is comparatively a young man, but quite an effici- 
ent preacher, has done and is still doing a good 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 249 

work. One half of Ms time is devoted to Clrak 
county and the other to Adams county, Illinois. 
His son Charles T. Newnan, is a graduate of 
Christian University, and is a growing young 
preacher. He has already held some very success- 
ful meetings in Illinois, where he is now located. 

Brother J. C. Risk, whose name is as familiar as 
household words, has sjDent the principal part of 
his life in Lewis county, though he has preached 
in the surrounding counties, both in Illinois and 
Missouri, is still at work. He never tires in the 
Master's work. He has done much for our cause 
by his zealous teaching and his pious devotion to 
build up and strengthen the disciples. He is 
respected and trusted by all who know him. 

Dr. W. H. Hopson has had many good meetings 
in Lewis county and in Marion. His fame as an 
able preacher and orator is wide spread. His son- 
in-law, R. L. Cave, who lived here several years is 
a grand, noble man, and a fine preacher. He did 
efficient work for the church while here, and his 
departure was much regretted. 

The Northcuts — father and son — have done 
good work in Lewis and Scotland counties. 

Brother Hosey has greatly built up the congre- 
gations of Labelle and Lewistown in the south 
western part of Lewis county. 

Brothers J. T. Minter and John Sandford resi- 
dent preachers of the county, have done good ser- 
vice. Old Brother Knight is a pioneer who has 



250 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MIlSSOUKI. 

labored long and successfully in Lewis and Clark. 
He deserves special mention for his ability and 
usefulness, bat alas, as is too often the case, in his 
old age and poverty he is almost forgotten ; " like 
the old worn out horse he is turned out to die." I 
have thus given you a brief sketch of all I can 
think of in Lewis and Clark. Brother E,. L. Lotz 
now of Emporia, Kansas, did a good work, in 
Clark county while he lived there ; held several 
very successful meetings, established and revived 
several congregations, but after he left, having no 
shepherd, the sheep were scattered and the con- 
gregation ceased to meet, and the cause was 
nearly prostrated. The writer was called to Clark 
to hold several meetings, which he did, and suc- 
ceeded in organizing Kahokia church at the Star 
schoolhouse with fifty-two additions, and engaged 
to preach for them for one year. When he left 
them they numbered over one hundred and twenty. 
They have since erected a good church building. 

He also preached two years for the Peaksville 
congregation and added to their number and aided 
in building a good house. During his two years 
labor in Clark he travelled over the country, held 
many meetings in school-houses and presented our 
plea to hundreds who had never heard it. He 
also held several meetings in Scotland county, had 
a number of additions. Our cause is now on firm 
foundation in Lewis, Clark and Scotland. 

Very fraternally, J. H. Hickman. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 251 



CHAPTER Xn. 

KNOX COUNTY. 

As early as 1853, there were at least two con- 
gregations in Knox county ; one at Edina, the 
county seat, and one at JSTew Ark. 

James N. Wright and myself held a meeting 
with the congregation at the latter place in 1854. 
I do not know certainly as to the organization of 
these churches, but heard the name of Elder Jacob 
Creath mentioned in connection with them. Youn- 
ger Pitts True lived in the vicinity, and we made 
our home with him during the meeting. 

There were several additions to the church dur- 
ing the meeting, but I have never visited the 
county since that time and have been unable to 
obtain any information in regard to the progress 
of the cause in that county. It was included in 
the co-operation of the churches in the 3rd Con- 
gressional District, but no meetings of importance 
were held in the county except the one already 
mentioned. 

There are also churches in Putman county, but 
of their origin, progress, and present condition I 
have no information. 

In gathering information in regard to Macon 
county, a letter was written to Elder O. P. Davis 



252 THE CHRISTIANS' ClIUKCH IN MISSOURIo 

now of Cooper county, Mo., to which the following 
was the reply. 

COOPER COUNTY. 

O. P. Davis. — The subject of this sketch was 
born in Wayne county, Kentucky, on the 26th day 
of September, 1816. His parents emigrated to 
Howard county, Mo., in the fall of 1817 ; conse- 
quently he grew up in Missouri, where school 
facilities were very poor, but being passionately 
fond of books from a child, and a close student 
during the early years of his life, he managed to 
acquire a fair English education. He became a 
member of the Baptist church at Pisgah, Cooper 
county, Missouri, in 1837. He removed to Macon 
county, Missouri, in 1839, with his younger 
brother, Jeremiah Davis, when that country was 
almost a wilderness ; undergoing the privations 
and hardships incident to a frontier lifeo He was 
one of the charter members in the organization of 
the Baptist church at Blanket Grove in Macon 
county. He was licensed by that church to 
preach the gospel in the spring of 1842, and was 
regularly ordained in the spring or summer of 
1843. He preached for the Baptist church in that 
country with great acceptance until the spring of 
1846, when they accused him of preaching what 
they called " Campbellism," and decided that he 
should preach no longer for them. He had made 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 253 

a trip to Cooper county, in the fall of 1845, and 
on the way lie heard that great and good man, 
Alexander Campbe.l, preach in Fayette, a circum- 
stance which he has ever since regarded as provi- 
dential. He never got to see or hear father Camp- 
l^ell after that, a thing he greatly desired as long 
as that good man lived. But he has a strong faith 
and an abiding hope, that he will see him again 
" when the mists have cleared away." The hear- 
ing of that sermon and the reading of the " Extra 
No. 1 " on the subject of Regeneration, soon after- 
wards, led his mind into a channel of investiga- 
tion that resulted in his heartily embracing the 
doctrine of the '' Reformation." 

There was not a single member of the Christian 
church in the neighborhood where he lived at that 
time. Being poor and having to support his fam- 
ily by labor on his farm, and having no encour- 
agement, he preached but little from the spring of 
1846 to the fall of 1848. He induced brother Allen 
Wright who was at that time, 1848, evangelizing 
in Howard county, to visit that neighborhood. He 
preached a few excellent sermons and immersed 
about three persons, upon a confession of their 
faith in Christ. He left an appointment to return 
in a few weeks to try to organize a little congre- 
gation. Brother Wright failed to reach his ap- 
pointment, and a good old preaching brother by 
the name of Prather, having attended the meeting, 
organized a little congregation of eight or nine 



254 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

members; the subject of this sketch being one of 
them. The little congregation, however, was not 
able to maintain its existence but a short time, 
owing to great opposition and the removal of some 
of the members. About the year 1854 or 1855, 
old brother Jeremiah Prather and the writer 
organized a little congregation at East Fork 
schoolhouse, in the southern part of Adair county, 
for which I preached regularly once a month until 
I left Macon county, in the spring of 1857, when it 
numbered about thirty -five members. The names 
of only a few of the charter members are now 
remembered. That congregation also ceased to 
exist after my removal, for want of some one to 
take care of them. I visited the congregation at 
La Plata, Macon county, in the summer of 1868, 
and dedicated their new house of worship, which 
my brother, A. J. Davis, was instrumental in 
building. I found a debt of $950 resting on his 
shoulders, $600 of which I raised in money and 
pledges, and the other $350 my brother agreed to 
pay, as I refused to dedicate the house with an 
incumbrance on it. 

When I identified myself with the church of 
Christ in Macon county, in 1848, there was then a 
small congregation at Bloomington and also at 
Kirksville, in Adair county. I preached for both 
congregations most of the time, once a month, 
until I left them in 1857, but I do not know any- 
thing about their organization. We had a Dis- 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 255 

frict Missionary co-operation that met at Bloom- 
ington two or three years in succession, as you will 
doubtless remember. I was secretary of that Dis- 
trict meeting the year that you and brother J. N. 
Wright were appointed to evangelize in that dis- 
trict, and if my memory is not at fault, was secre- 
tary as long as that organization existed. I moved 
from Macon to Cooper county, as already stated, 
in the spring of 1857. I found two small con- 
gregations of Disciples of Christ in Cooper ; 
one at Pisgah and one at Lone Elm. Of 
the organization at Pisgah I have no information 
although I preached for them several years. I 
think it likely that brother G. W. Longan has 
some knowledge of its beginning. There is one 
fact, however, connected with the Pisgah church 
that ought to go to record, and become a matter of 
public history. It is this : Brother Lewis D. Eea- 
vis died soon after the war, leaving by will the 
sum of $1,800 to build a church house, and also 
$1,000 to be kept in trust by the church as a per- 
petual fund, and the interest only, to be appropri 
ated to the support of the gospel at Pisgah. Aided 
by that fund they have built a nice little frame 
house, and are able to have preaching once a 
month, which they perhaps could never have done 
but for that bequest of brother Reavis. 

The house at Pisgah was erected in 1868. I 
copy from the history of Cooper and Howard coun- 



256 THE CHRISTIAlSr CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

ties an account of the organization of the Lone 
Elm congregation. 

''The Christian church at Lone Elm, Cooper 
county, Missouri, was organized at a school-house, 
now known as Bell Air, in 1842. The original mem- 
bers were George W. Baker and Harriett P., his 
wife, Peter and Elizabeth Poindexter. Rice and 
Elizabeth Daniel, Benjamin R. and Lucy Walker 
and Mary A. Poindexter. The first ministers were 
Nelson Davis and Allen Wright. The first elders 
were George W. Baker and Peter Poindexter. Mr. 
Baker, from whom we obtained this information, 
says that Lone Elm church was the first organiza- 
tion south of the Missouri river. 

Second Lone Elm Christian church. The organ- 
ization of this church occurred September 27th, 
1854. The charter members were James R,. Dan- 
iel, Rice Daniel, David Parish, Robert Seaton, 
John Seaton, Henry Knaus, J. G. Taliafero, Joan 
Daniel, E. R. Daniel, Jeanette Seaton, Lucy H. 
Walker, Belinda Poindexter, Joan Seaton, Mary 
L. Wilson, Eliza A. Baker, Martha A. Knaus, J. H. 
Baker, Lucy A. Baker, L. A. Taliafero, M. E. Tal- 
iafero, Elizabeth Poindexter and Maria T. Keeley. 
The first minister was O. P. Davis. The present 
membership is ninety-five. 

Church of Christ at Lamine. About the year 
1843, there was an organization at Lamine, but on 
account of deaths and removals, the organization 
was discontinued a few years afterwards. The 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 257 

present church at Lamine was constituted August 
7th, 1865, by Elder P. Donan, with the following 
white members : Saml. E.Collins, Sarah F. Col- 
lins, Drusilla E. Thomas, Susan Biddle, Melinda 
E. Kincaid, Mary F. Tyler, Catherine Wing, Free- 
man Wing, Julia O. Turley, Ellen Pope, Jose- 
phine Wall, J. P. Wall, Moses Napier, Mary J. 
Mellor, Nancy Reed, Elizabeth Courtney, George 
W. Kincaid, Francis M. Kincaid, Richard F. Kin- 
caid, A. L. Kincaid, John B. Baker, Martha J. 
Baker, Theodore Turley, James O. Howell, 
Thomas Miller, Thomas Staples, C. F. Younger, 
T. Harris, Lucy C. Kinchelow and Pamelia Wil- 
liams. There were eighteen colored people who 
came into the church at the same time, but their 
names we did not succeed in getting. These soon 
after organized a church of their own. Elder P. 
Donan and O. P. Davis were the first preachers. 
The present membership is 80." 

The congregation worshiping at Walnut Grove^ 
Cooper county, Missouri, was organized by Elder 
O. P. Davis, on the 1st Lord's day in December, 
1862, with the following members : Lewis D. Rea- 
vis, Henry York, Eli P. Adams, Matilda Carey, 
Samuel R. Davis, O. P. Davis, Martha A. Davis, 
Mary York, Caroline York, Isabella Clawson, 
Sarah Parmer and James Eldridge. This congre- 
gation increased in numbers rapidly until it 
numbered at one time over one hundred and fifty 



258 THE CHEISTIAN CHUKCH IN MISSOUEI. 

members, and for some time met every Lord's day 
for Sunday-school and worship, but owing to 
removal, deaths and other causes, it now numbers 
only thirty -four members, has no Sunday-school, 
and is not doing much good." 

There is also a small congregation in the south- 
west corner of this county, with a very neat brick 
house of worship, but I know nothing about their 
organization or w^hat they are doing. This con- 
gregation is at Otterville, and Elder Giles Phillips 
and Hon. T. C. Crammer are members of it. Bro. 
G. W. Longan has greatly assisted me in my la- 
bors in this county, especially in the commence- 
ment of my labors here." 



HISTOEICAL AiS-D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 259 

CHAPTER XIII. 

PETTIS COUTTTY. 

I have received from brother T. J. Porter, one of 
the Elders of the church in Sedalia, the following 
account of the church in that county : The church 
of Christ in Pettis county, was first started in 1836 
at Georgetown, which was then the county seat. 
The first meetings were held in the court house, 
where an organization was effected. Several very 
successful meetings were held there by Allen 
Wright and W. H. Hopson. Besides these preach- 
ers, Moses Paris, John DeJarnett, Gr. W. Longan, 
T. M. Allen, Jacob Creath and Elder P. Donan 
were among the prominent preachers who labored 
at various points in the county. At an early day, 
probably in 1858 or 1859, Elder J. W. McGarvey 
held a debate at Georgetown with a prominent 
XJniversalist, Rev. Mr. Bunn, which well nigh des- 
troyed that doctrine in the county. 

The next congregation organized was at old 
Union on Heath's Creek, which soon became a 
strong influential church. The house in which 
they worshipped still stands but it is dilapidated 
and deserted by the worshippers. The church still 
has a " name to live but is dead, " internal dissen- 
sions having destroyed their peace and prosper- 
ity. 



260 THE CHEISTIA]^ CHURCH IN MISSOUEI. 

The next congregation organized in the county 
was about six miles west of where Sedalia now 
stands, in Hampton P. Gray's neighborhood. It 
has also ceased to exist, but many of its members 
have united with the congregations that have since 
been organized in the county. 

Prominent among the families which were con- 
nected with the church in the early days of its 
existence, were those of Gen. Geo. R. Smith, the 
Thomsons, George Heard, A. McYay, Mrs. Clifton 
Wood, Abner Clopton, Amos Fristoe, John S. 
Jones, Charles S. Jones, Ben R.. Majors and Mrs. 
J. W. Gentry. There are now congregations in the 
county at the following points : Sedalia, Smith ton, 
Hughesville, Houstonia, Dresden, Lamonte, Green- 
ridge, Old Union, Eldorado and a remnant called 
Liberty,, about six miles south of Sedalia. These 
congregations have an aggregate membership of 
seven hundred and fifty souls. They own eight 
houses and a half interest in the ninth. Most of 
them meet every Lord's day for Sunday-school and 
worship. They are all out of debt. The churches 
of the county have formed a co-operation for mis- 
sionary work under the direction of a county 
board with J. H. Duncan President, J. N. Dalby 
Secretary and W. W. Herold Treasurer. 

The church at Sedalia is located on the cornier of 
Massachusetts and 6th streets. It was organized 
by Elder G. W. Longan on the 3d Lord's day in 
May, 1861. General George R. Smith and daugh- 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 261 

ters, J. W. Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Logan Clark, Mr. 
and Mrs. H. R. Dobbins and Mr. and Mrs. John A. 
Read were among the charter members. Elder 
George W. Longan, then a citizen of Benton 
county, preached the first sermon ever delivered 
in Sedalia, and organized the first congregation. 
He preached in the store house built by A. J. 
Hodge, adjoining the old Sedalia House on the 
west, the last Sunday in April, 1861. On the 3d 
Lord's day in August, following, he organized the 
first congregation. A house of worship was not 
erected till 1866, when the present brick structure 
was built under the superintendence of John De 
Jarnett, Henry Cotton, Dr. Logan Clark and G. R-. 
Smith. Henry Cotton Treasurer. By some mis- 
management a debt was incurred in the building 
of the house which hung over the congregation, 
and at times gave it serious trouble "and even 
threatened the loss of the house, till the spring of 
1880, when under the pastorate of Elder J. H. Dun- 
can it was paid, being at the time of its liquidation 
fourteen hundred dollars.. The house was remod- 
eled under the administration of Elder S. K. Hal- 
lam at a cost of four or five hundred dollars, and 
since the indebtedness was removed it has been 
still fui'ther improved by the addition of an infant 
classroom, a preacher's study, etc., at a cost of 
about eight hundred dollars. The property is 
now worth at least 87,000. 

The following preachers have served as pastors ; 



262 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH ITT MISSOURI. 

Elders Thomas N. Gaines, O. M. Spencer, J. W. 
Mountjoy, G. W. Surber, S. K. Hallam, N. M. Rag- 
land, J. H. Duncan, and S. H. Meade the present 
pastor. J. W. Mountjoy served the church only a 
short time, but he infused new life into its mem- 
bership, and it has gradually grown since till it 
now numbers three hundred souls. The attend- 
ance upon the public worship is large and the con- 
gregation is peaceful and harmonious. T. J. Por- 
ter and W. W. Herrold are the elders and J. N. 
Dalby, G. W. Barnett, A. Farnham, J. H. Looney 
Mertor Thompson are the deacons, who hold a 
joint business meeting with the elders and preach- 
ers once a month. The Sunday-school has an 
average attendance of one hundred and fifty with 
W. H. Herrold as superintendent and Miss Belle 
Herrold as Secretary. One of the most interesting 
features of the Sunday-school, is the "infant 
class " of brother J. N. Dalby, which has a room 
bv itself with a hundred little chairs for the little 
ones. The weekly teachers' meeting is well attend- 
ed and full of interest. The prayer meeting is 
one of the best meetings of the church, and has an 
average attendance of seventy-five souls. 

The church organized in Cotton's addition, in 
the beginning of 1882, a Mission Sunday-school, 
which has an attendance of one hundred and 
twenty-five. C. W. Bobbins is superintendent 
and J. W. Agey assistant. The church has built 
a chapel for the school at a cost of fifteen hundred 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 263 

dollars, also a handsome parsonage has been erec- 
ted at a cost of two thousand dollars, all of which 
has been paid. Since the above was written Dr. 
Meade resigned and the church has enjoyed the 
joint services of our young brother Will S. Payne 
and brother Geo. W. Longan for one year, and 
now brother M. M. Davis is the pastor. The 
church has continued prosperous. 



264 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 



CHAPTER XIY. 

MONTGOMERY COUNTY. 

Brother J. T. Marlow who resided in this county 
and preached to the churches for many years has 
kindly sent me the following ; 

"This county was organized from St. Charles, 
December 14th, 1818, and was named in honor of 
General Montgomery, who fell at the battle of 
Quebec. Settlements were made in this part of 
the then territory as early as 1800. Among those 
who came to Loutre Island were Messrs. Temple, 
Patton, Gooch, Murdock and Cole. It was in this 
county that Capt. Calloway, a grandson of Daniel 
Boone, while swimming his horse over main Lou- 
tre, was mortally wounded by the treacherous red 
men, fell into the stream and expired. The last 
resting place of the brave Calloway is near the 
spot where he fell, and is marked by a rough Hat 
stone on which is written in legible characters 
the name of this gallant pioneer. His name will 
live for generations to come. 

The name of the minister who first preached the 
" primitive gospel " in Montgomery county is un- 
known to the writer of this paper. Among the 
pioneer preachers of the " current Reformation " 
who were instrumental in planting the cause in 
this section of the State, I have heard the follow- 



HISTOEICAL A]S^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 265 

ing names mentioned: Sandy E. Jones, Timothy 
Ford, Joseph J. Errett, Dr. Hatchett, Jacob Coons, 
T. M. Allen and Dr. W. H. Hopson. After his 
return from Bethany College, where he graduated 
in 1857 or 1858, Dennis M. Grandfield located in 
Middletown , taught school and preached the an- 
cient gospel. The writer knew all the preachers 
personally, Sandy E. Jones excepted. This pio- 
neer preacher was the father of Elder A. B. Jones, 
who was born one stormy night in a rude cabin 
not far distant from Middletown, and I can readily 
imagine that the wailing winds were responded to 
by the louder wailing of the baby Jones. I have 
an idea that the baby was a very cross baby. Be 
this as it may^ he still lives, and the president of 
the State Board of Missions is regarded as one of 
the advanced thinkers of the Christian Church. 
His mother sleeps the dreamless sleep on the old 
Crutcher farm, not far from Middletown. The 
stones that mark her resting place were erected by 
her son when he was a young man and pastor of 
the church at Fulton, Mo. The mortal remains of 
Timothy Ford, one of the " sweet singers of 
Israel," also found a resting place near this same 
village. 

Danville, still a very small place, is the county 
seat of Montgomery, notwithstanding the efforts of 
^N'ew Florence and Montgomery city to remove it. 
About twenty-eight years ago, soon after taking 
membership with the disciples, I heard that a pro- 



266 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

tracted meeting was to be held in this town by Dr 
W. H. Hopson and Thomas M. Allen. I resolved 
to go and be an attentive listener to every utter- 
ance of these " sons of thunder." There was at 
Danville at that time but one church edifice, and 
that was the property of the M. E. Church, South. 
Predjudice ran high, for our people were more bel- 
ligerent then than now. These brethren were not 
permitted to occupy this house, and were therefore 
compelled to hold their protracted meeting in the 
old court house, long since demolished by " Bill 
Anderson and his men." 

These two brethren were true yoke fellows. Dr. 
Hopson did most of the preaching, but brother 
Allen supplemented each sermon with a powerful 
exhortation, usually closing with these words : 

'• Say will you to Mount Zion go, 
Say will you come to Christ or no?" 

The walls of the old court house for some " gala 
day " had been handsomely decorated with ever- 
greens, which at the time of the meeting had be- 
come very dry and combustible. The house was 
lighted with tallow candles placed in wooden 
candle-sticks. One evening the Doctor was dis- 
coursing from the second chapter of Acts, when he 
came to the words : '' Save yourselves from this 
this untoward generation." "Now," said the 
speaker, "that you may discover the meaning 
of this language, I will illustrate by supposing 
that we are so closely confined in this house as to 



HISTORICAL AND BIOaRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 267 

make it impossible to escape in the event of a fire 
without assistance from without. Suddenly the 
cry of fire is heard. An individual with herculean 
strength forces open the door and exclaims 
"Save!!" feut just as the speaker uttered the 
word save, one of the tallow candles that had 
Iburned down set fire to the wooden candle-stick, 
when the combustible material upon the wall 
quickly caught, and men and women were on their 
feet ready to save themselves. The fire, however, 
was soon extinguished, when Dr. Hopson reques- 
ted the audience to be seated, with the remark : 
" I told you so : the children of this world are 
wiser in their generation than the children of 
light." 

During this meeting quite an old lady by the 
name of Powell made the "good confession." 
Before taking her confession. Dr. Hopson made 
some very appropriate remarks, alluding to the 
" old sister" who had taken her stand so nobly on 
the Lord's side. The next morning brother Allen 
and I called at her house when she remarked to 
brother Allen that she did not feel like going to 
the water with the Doctor for he had called her an 
" old woman " the evening before. Brother Allen 
told her promptly that Dr. Hopson was a Christian 
gentleman and had spoken of her as an " old sis- 
ter." She and the other converts made during the 
meeting were baptized in Loutre, near where the 
gallant Calloway fell. It was during this meeting 



268 THE CHEISTIAIS' CHURCH IX MISSOURI. 

that the sad intelligence reached us at Danville, 
that the gifted Samuel S. Church of St. Louis, had 
passed away from earth. There are now in this 
county seven houses of worship, considerable 
numerical strength, and financial ability, and if 
the brotherhood will only go foward they can ac- 
complish much good in the name of the Master. 
The voices of nearly all these pioneer jDreachers 
have been hushed in death. " Our fathers, where 
are they, and the prophets, do they live forever?" 
Montgomery City^ Missouri. Knowing that 
Elder Sandy E. Jones was among the pioneer 
preachers of that part of the State, I asked his son^ 
A. B. Jones, to prepare something concerning him 
for this work. In response to my request he haa 
sent me following interesting sketch : 

Dear Brother Haley : — My father, Sandy E. 
Jones, came from Kentucky to Missouri in the 
year 1831, and settled on a farm, or rather on land 
to be made a farm, near Middletown, Montgomery 
county. It was here that I was born. I heard my 
father say once that I was born in his half finished 
cabin on the 6th day of January, 1832, with the 
snow eighteen inches deep. My father was mar- 
ried to my mother in Kentucky by Barton Stone. 
He was the son of a preacher and the grandson of 
a preacher. His grandfather was a preacher of 
the Baptist Church, and his father also, in the 
beginning of his ministry, but subsequently came 




J^ /, ^^r-^t_tA^ 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 269 

into the reformation and died a faithful preacher 
in the Church of Christ. My father was then 
Ibrouglit up under the teachings of the Christian 
Church, and it was always his boast that he was 
*'free born." Of course I inherited this freedom, 
and being the descendant of such an ancestry of 
preachers, I took to preaching, probably by hered- 
itary tendency. At any rate while growing up, 
my thoughts turned to everything else as a life 
pursuit, but in spite of me I turned up a preacher. 
In some circles this might be termed a "divine 
call " to the ministry, and who knows to the con- 
trary? When a child, I often heard my father say 
to his friends that he wanted to make all his sons 
preachers, and I remember that the remark always 
filled me with very peculiar but very lofty feel- 
ings. His ambition, however, in this direction, 
largely failed, as I am the only one of four sons 
that became a preacher of the gospel. 

My father resided in Missouri about ten years, 
during which he did much labor in the ministry. 
He was not a man of any scholarship, had only a 
plain English education, but his familiarity with 
the Bible was remarkable, and especially with the 
New Testament. He knew it from beginning to 
to end. He never used a concordance but could 
always turn to any passage in an instant, that he 
wanted to read, or could quote it verbatim from 
memory. He was emphatically a preacher of " the 
word." He was quick and apt and forcible in his 



270 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

mind and methods, and like our fathers generally, 
handled the '' sects " without gloves. His preach- 
ing was mainly in the counties of Montgomery, 
Pike, Lincoln, Calloway and Ralls, though he did 
considerable preaching in other counties. Some of 
the best congregations in the counties named 
are the results of his labors. I never go into 
that section of the State but that I meet with 
a great many persons who have something to tell 
me of my father's early preaching and who cher- 
ish grateful memories of his ministry. These per- 
sons however are rapidly passing away and the 
majority of people even in his own county at pres- 
ent, knew nothing of him, which circumstance will 
in a few years repeat itself with all of us. Timothy 
Ford, a preacher of considerable influence, and 
pioneer in the part of Missouri where my father 
labored, and a pure and spotless Christian man, 
but now dead, was converted from Methodism 
which he preached in his early life, and baptized 
into Christ by my father. And brother Gr. W. 
Longan once said to me that his first and most fa- 
vorable impression of our plea in behalf of primi- 
tive Christianity was made on his mind by listen- 
ing to a sermon of my father. 

The death of my mother, however, at an early 
period changed all my father's plans .He returned 
to Kentucky with his children and subsequently 
married again, and then located near Nash- 
ville, Tennesse. He did a great deal of preach- 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 271 

ing in Kentucky, Tennesse, Alabama and Missis- 
sippi, and Ms ministry was always largely sucess- 
ful. He was intimately and personally acquain- 
ted with nearly all the "fathers of this reforma- 
tion" and preached with them and suffered with 
them and now sleeps with them, awaiting the final 
manifestation of the sons of God. 
Yours truly, 

A. B. Jones." 

I am also furnished with the following extracts 
from a letter written by the venerable Samuel 
Crutcher, now in his 75th year, an uncle of A. B. 
Jones, who still resides in Montgomery county : 

" In your letter you ask, in what year did your 
father, Sandy E. Jones, move to this State, and 
did we all come together. In answer, I would say 
that my father, John Darby, and myself came to 
Missouri in the fall of 1830, and rented a small 
farm in Lincoln county. In the fall of 1831, my 
father went back to Kentucky and assisted your 
father and brother John Crutcher, to move back to 
Missouri. We then bought land in Montgomery 
county and settled there. After being here one 
or two years, there being no religious services 
in the neighborhood except preaching by a 
Methodist circuit-rider, every four weeks, at 
a private house, and your father having been 
licensed to preach in Kentucky (by whom I 
know not) he and I concluded to organize a 
weekly prayer meeting at some private house, 



272 THE CHRISTIAjS" CHUECH in MISSOURI. 

if the citizens would endorse the movement 
and have religious services on the Lord's day, 
instead of "deer hunting" and visiting. The 
most of the neighbors at that time were new 
comers from Kentucky. They seemed to endorse 
the move made to improve the morals and relig- 
ious condition of the neighborhood. 

The result was that your father worked with a 
great deal of zeal and energy, and made quite a 
religious impression on the community. The 
county soon began to develop and settle up with 
a good class of people. Your father's services were 
called for in other neighborhoods, to which he 
readily responded. After two or three years it 
was proposed that he be ordained, which was 
done, (I do not know by whom) that he might in 
connection with his preaching, perform marriage 
ceremonies, and assist in the organization of 
churches. His labors were soon called for as pas- 
tor and highly appreciated by the membership, so 
much so that his labors were called for quite a 
distance from home, both as evangelist and pas- 
tor. In the course of time his wife died. He 
placed his children (those old enough) out at 
school, broke up housekeeping and spent his en- 
tire time for the term of two or more years evan- 
gelizing. He was quite successful in proselyting, 
especially the Methodists ; for instance, brothers 
Greenup, Jackman and Timothy Ford, class- 
leaders, were baptized by him." 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 273 



CHAPTER Xy. 

THE GRAND RIVER CHURCHES. 

It has been almost impossible to secure reliable 
information concerning the first churches of this 
section of the State, that is, of the churches and 
ministers prior to the year 1853. 
The following interesting sketch from the pen of 
Elder John S. Allen, of Bethany, Mo., was pub- 
lished in the "American Christian Eeview," and 
is no doubt as nearly correct as any account that 
can now be written. 

PIONEER PREACHING, OR THE INTRODUCTION OF 
THE GOSPEL IN THE GRAND RIVER COUNTRY. 

" The writer of this article was born June 1814, 
in Overton county, Tennessee, and was raised by 
religious parents until he passed his 19th year. 
In the fall of 1832, we bade adieu to parents and 
loved ones at home for the State of Illinois where 
we remained until 1841. In the fall of 1837, we 
bowed allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. In 
June 1841, in company with the following brethren 
and sisters we emigrated to Missouri, and all set- 
tled near this place : John W. Brown and wife, 
Thomas Tucker and family, Thomas Brown and 

18 



274 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

wife, W. R. Allen and wife, C. L. Jennings and 
wife, Ephraim Stewart and wife, and A. A. Allen. 
Old brother John Poynter and family had prece- 
ded us the same spring. This was not a county 
then, but a territory attached to Daviess county 
for civil and military purposes. This was then 
what we call a new country. The Indians roamed 
over the country hunting as in days of yore. There 
were a few settlers " squatted " on the public do- 
main. The gospel of Jesus Christ had never been 
proclaimed in the then territory as the apostles of 
Christ had proclaimed it in apostolic days. After 
we had been here a short time and looked around 
at the country, we made an appointment about six 
miles southeast of this place in the latter part of 
July of that year. The brethren and sisters and 
the few settlers all came together in a beautiful 
white-oak grove, and for the first time, we stood 
up in this wild looking country and introduced the 
worship of the ever-living God. Our motto was 
the " Gospel Commission " as recorded by Mark 
in the 16th chapter of his Gospel. A few for the 
first time in life, that day heard the old apostolic 
gospel, as preached by them under the guidance 
of the Holy Spirit, and the effect produced that 
day is yet visible. A short time after this meet- 
ing, when we all decided to settle in this vicinity, 
I think in August, 1841, we appointed a meeting 
at the house of brother John Poynter. We met 
and formed an organization. There were about 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 275 

twenty of us that formed the first congregation of 
disciples in the territory. When we look back 
and count up, our heart is saddened by the reflec- 
tion that one half of the original number have 
gone over the "rolling river" but we thank God 
that they died in the faith. 

This congregation we called the "Big Creek 
Church." In September 1842 we held the first 
great meeting ever held in the territory, at or near 
the house of Philip Harris, on Big Creek under the 
shady bowers of the Linn grove, and on the east 
side of the creek. This was one of the best meet- 
ings we ever held. 

We here demonstrated the authority of our 
anointed Priest and King, the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and presented his claims as set forth by the apos- 
tles and urged the people to the obedience of 
the faith. More than twenty accepted the terms 
cf the gospel and were baptized into the one body. 
After this meeting our regular meeting were held 
alternately at the houses of Philip Harris and 
David Buck. 

Soon after we came here we formed the acquain- 
tance of brother Wright Engart, who lived in the 
northeast corner of Daviess county. He was from 
Kentucky, a warm-hearted old brother and a good 
exhorter, who helped me much in our meetings, 
but he is now gone to the spirit land. We need 
more of his class yet. Brother E. Stewart and 
William R. Allen soon commenced speaking and 



276 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH iJIi MISSOURI. 

exhorting and did much good work in the congre- 
gations. They would go out and hold meetings to- 
gether. The latter is now gone over the river. After 
we got settled and fixed so as to raise bread and 
meat we spent all the time we could spare 
in the proclamation of the gospel, for we greatly 
desired to establish the cause of primitive Chris- 
tianity in the Grand River country. We were 
greatly encouraged by the fact that the people 
seemed anxious to hear the old apostolic gospel. 
We preached occasionally at the house of brother 
Engart and also at old father Yersers,' west of 
where Albany now is, then called the settlement 
at the *' three forks of Grand Eiver." 

When invited to a distant neighborhood to hold 
a meeting, we did not in those days stop to ask, 
" How much can you raise to pay for preaching ?" 
We trusted in the Lord for all things needful and 
looked not for recompense here, for the poor must 
have the gospel preached to them, and were made 
happy by making others happy. We love to look 
back to those happy days, when peace and love 
prevailed, and all were of one heart. At the two 
places mentioned we often had good meetings, and 
many good and substantial men and women be- 
came obedient to the faith of our exalted King 
and Priest. 

In the fall of 1842 brother George Flint came on 
from Indiana, and settled in the north part of 
Daviess county. I did not know whetlier we could 



HISTOKICAL A^B BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 277 

work together or not, as lie stood identified with 
the " Old Christian Order," or as some called them 
" New Lights," but he came to see me and we sat 
up and talked till one o'clock a. m. and as we had 
both been learning from the same old Book, we 
decided to follow that and that only, and to our 
mutual joy found we could work together in the 
Lord's vineyard, which we did ever afterward till 
he was called home to rest with the blessed. We 
soon became acquainted with old brother Thomas 
Thompson, who had moved from Paris in Monroe 
county, Missouri, and settled in the northern part 
of Grundy county. He was an able man in the 
gospel, was truly a man of faith, and forcibly 
reminded me of the lamented brother Benjamin 
Franklin. In late years he removed to California, 
and has since gone to his reward. These two 
brethren and the writer have in by -gone days held 
many happy meetings in the Grand River country. 
Alas, those days are gone, with those two servants 
of God who toiled without any earthly reward, to 
hold up the cause of Christ. They travelled thou- 
sands of miles and faced the bleak winds of the 
north, mingled with the driving snow, to bear the 
cup of gospel consolation to dying men and wo- 
men. 

In the year 1844, Thomas Thompson and the 
writer were chosen by the churches in the Grand 
Hiver country, to travel as evangelists in the sev- 
eral counties. Our field embraced the Grand Riv- 



278 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IIS" MISSOURI. 

er country including Gentry, Daviess, Livingston, 
Grundy and as far east as Linn county. Mercer 
and Harrison counties, were then territories, 
not organized counties, as was also Gentry. The 
country being so sparsely settled, our rides were 
often long and wearisome, but we took great pleas- 
ure in our meetings, in seeing many of our fellow 
citizens bow to the authority of the gospel. At 
Linneus, Chillicothe, Gallatin and Trenton we 
held many successful meetings, and planted the 
cause of primitive Christianity in the Grand River 
country. Our salaries we never computed. The 
brethren would some times give us fifty cents or a 
dollar, or a present of some sort. It was not the 
*' Almighty dollar" that induced us in those days 
to make the sacrifices and perform the labors we 
did, but we were prompted by our love for the 
cause and our great desire to see it established in 
this country." 

In the latter part of November 1853, and just 
after his visit to Carrollton, already detailed in 
this volume, the writer made his first visit to Chil- 
licothe, Missouri, which is mentioned in brother 
Allen's contribution. He carried a letter of intro- 
duction to Col. John Graves, the proprietor of the 
only hotel in the town, and in some degree the 
proprietor of the town. He reached the town on 
Saturday evening, his appointment having pre- 
ceded him. He had travelled on horse back 
across the open prairies, in many places almost 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 279 

trackless, from Carrollton. He had had no dinner 
"because there was no house on the way where one 
could be had. He reached the hotel after supper, 
-and cold and hungry, was received and entertained 
hy that bluff old pioneer, Col. Graves, with the 
best his house afforded. 

After supper the Court House was lighted, and 
a wood fire built in the huge fire-place in one cor- 
ner of the building. The people came in consid- 
erable numbers, and supplied with a small table 
and a tallow candle in a brass candle-stick, the 
preacher took his stand near the fire, while the 
audience sat in a circle around on benches and 
chairs, provided for the occasion. He had only 
gotten under way fairly, when a drunken fellow 
insisted on dividing the time with him, greatly to 
the annoyance of the audience as well as the 
preacher. At last one of the young men calling 
for assistance, seized him and unceremoniously 
threw him into the street. He went away mutter- 
ing and threatening, but he did not return. At the 
close of the service John C. Hill and his wife, a 
good Methodist lady, tendered tiie speaker the 
hospitality of their home which he accepted, and 
in which he was most hospitably entertained 
during the remainder of the meeting, and gener- 
ally at each succeeding visit. 

He preached again on Lord's day when it was 
found that there was the remnant of a congrega- 
tion formed by brothers Allen, Thompson and 



280 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI.' 

Flint, but which had fallen into decay. Some ten 
or twelve were found in the town, and a small con- 
gregation, meeting in a school house near, of some 
fifteen or twenty persons were induced to unite 
with the membership in the town and form a con- 
gregation. I recall the names of John Crawford 
and family, Samuel Crawford and wife and Col. 
John Graves. 

During the first meeting several were baptized, 
and among them that honest man and faithful dis- 
ciple, James Hutchinson, who has been so long an 
Elder aud one of the pillars of the church there. 
"Mine host," John C. Hill and his wife, united 
also. It is my impression that brother Hill has 
been a member in Howard county. This was the 
present organization in Chillicothe, efiected, I 
think on the first Lord's day in December 1853. 
A brother Carter who had been preaching for the 
little group of brethren at the school house was 
induced to become their preacher. 

During the summer of 1854, the writer and 
brother James ISl, Wright held a meeting there at 
which there wer^ a number of additions. About 
that time the movement for the erection of a 
church-hoiise was inaugurated. The lot was do- 
nated by Col. John Graves, and the church, at first 
a small frame, was erected by subscriptions from 
the membership and liberal friends. In the year 
1853 when I first visited Chillicothe, the surveyors 
were making the first survey for the Hannibal and 



HISTOEICAL ATTD BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 281 

St. Joseph railway, and the fact that it passed 
through Chillicothe, and that it was located in the 
midst of a fine agricultural country, attracted the 
attention of the country and the town grew rapid- 
ly. A great many most excellent families moved 
to the place. This greatly strengthened the strug- 
gling church. Among the preachers who visited 
and served them in their early history I recall the 
names of James N. Wright, D. T. Wright, J. K. 
Rogers, H. H. Haley and John A. Sidenor who 
bought property and settled among them. 

It was during his residence there that the de- 
bate between Elder Benjamin Franklin of the Re- 
view, and Rev. William M. Rush of the Methodist 
Church South was held. Some time after this 
Elder D. T. Wright moved to the town and com- 
menced the publication of the Christian Pioneer. 
This fact attracted attention to the Chillicothe 
church and gave it great prominence. In the year 
1863, the only State Meeting held during the war, 
convened there. The following preachers have re- 
sided there, some of them as pastors of the church 
and others having work in the vicinity. James 
M. Long, J. M. Henry, Dr. William D. Jordan, 
Dr. Shook, W. H. Gaunt, R. M. Messick, W. F. 
Parker and Elder Monroe. 

The house has been enlarged since it was built, 
and the congregation has been for many years, 
perhaps the largest in the Grand River country. 
At the time of my first visit in 1853, there was a 



282 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH m MISSOURI. 

congregation at Spring Hill in the western part of 
the county. I recall only the name of brother 
Boyle, one of the early members who often came 
to the meetings at Chillicothe. 

GRUN^DY COUNTY. 

After my visit to Chillicothe in the fall of 1853, 
I made a visit to Trenton. On the way from Chil- 
licothe I tarried over night with my father's old 
neighbor and friend, Andrew Evans, whom I had 
not seen for many years. He lived some seven 
miles southeast of Trenton. He was a staunch 
Eaptist, but learning that I was on my way to 
Trenton to hold a meeting and knowing that we 
had no meeting-house nor congregation there, he 
very kindly offered to accompany me and use his 
good offices to secure me the use of the Baptist 
meeting-house, which he did. I had a letter from 
A. Johnson of Brunswick, Missouri, to old brother 
William Collier of Trenton, but on my arrival I 
learned that brother Collier was away from home 
with his wife, attending a meeting probably at 
Spring Hill in Livingston. I presented my letter 
to a brother Moberly, who insisted that nothing 
could be done there, that efforts had been made, 
and the cause had been disgraced and ruined by a 
bad preacher. He did not exactly tell me "to 
move on," but he " looked it." There were others, 
however, who were anxious to hear, and they 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 283 

urged me to remain and preach, and indeed I had 
no other intention. My faith then was that the 
servant of the Lord should not concern himself 
about results. It belongs to him to do his duty 
and leave the consequences to Him who said, " I 
will be with you alway even to the end of the 
world." 

An appointment was made and the meeting 
began with a small audience which increased 
with every service. On Lord's day I preached 
three times, and at the evening service there were 
three additions, among them the oldest son, but 
one, of brother and sister Collier. This gave the 
meeting a great impetus. Brother Collier reached 
home on Monday morning, and went to work 
heroically for the success of the meeting. A con- 
siderable number were baptized and the remnant 
of an organization once there was gathered up, 
and on Thursday following, a congregation of 
about forty persons was organized, some of the 
very best citizens of the community becoming 
members of it. 

Of these I remember the names of Mr. and Mrs. 
William Collier, Joseph Collier, William Collier, 
Robert Collier and Charles. Mrs. Austin, Mrs. 
Shanklin, Adam Murray and wife, Thomas Proc- 
tor and wife, M. A. Thaxton and wife. Barton 
England and wife, brother Thomas, Martha Col- 
lier, Ann Cooper, Miss Templeman. Elders and 
Deacons were chosen, and the congregation called 



284 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

D. T. Wright, who then lived on a farm in the 
county, to preach for them. Brother Wright had 
been present and greatly assisted in the meet- 
ing. 

At this meeting B. H. Smith, then a young law- 
yer and editor of the county paper, was a con- 
stant attendant and an interested though prej- 
udiced listener. As the meeting increased in in- 
terest and he saw his neighbors and associates 
bowing in obedience to the gospel, he became ter- 
ribly indignant and excited and declared that 
" that young man, with his heretical teaching was 
leading men and women to the devil." His wife> 
a gentle, prudent woman, a member of the Bap- 
tist church, gently remonstrated and said to him : 
"Would it not be well to read the New Testament 
before you condemn him? It seems to me he 
preaches very much like the book reads." Where 
upon he sat down to investigate. He declared 
the more he read the more he was provoked, for 
instead of finding ground for condemnation, he 
was compelled to admit that the preaching was 
in harmony with the teachings of the New Testa- 
ment. He continued to examine the Scriptures, 
until being satisfied, a short ti*me after the close 
of the meeting he was immersed on a confession 
of his faith, by Elder D. T. Wright and soon 
thereafter began to preach the gospel. He sub- 
sequently entered Bethany College where he was a 
graduate in 1859, and has since that time been 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 285 

one of the most prominent and successful minis- 
ters of the gospel in the State. He was at one 
time pastor of the first church in St. Louis, then 
of the first church in Chicago, and was subse- 
quently elected "President of Christian Univer- 
sity " at Canton, Missouri, where he still resides. 
Some years ago he gave up the Presidency and 
spent some time in California, but returned to 
Canton where he is again interested in the Uni- 
versity, and President of a banking institution. 
His conversion gave a new impetus to the cause 
of Christianity in the Grand River country. 

There w^as in 1853 a small congregation at 
Lindley, to which brother Wright preached, and 
there were groups of brethren in different parts 
of the country, but no other organization but that 
at Trenton for some time. 

The church at Trenton has enjoyed the minis- 
terial labors of the following brethren as pastors : 
D. T. Wright, B. H. Smith, brother Stewart, Ben- 
jamin Lockhart, H. U. Bale, J. R. Gaff, W. F. 
Parker, brother Cornell and R,. M. Messick. 

In the early part of the year 1860, a debate on 
the baptismal question, mode, subject and design, 
was held at Trenton between Elders Benjamin 
Franklin of the American Christian Review and 
Rev. William M. Rusk of the M. E. Church, Sourth. 
This discussion was largely attended and many 
of the preachers of both churches were present. 

Of the preachers who served them, all are liv- 



286 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

ing except brother Stewart. He was a young 
man of fine personal appearance, a good scholar, 
an elegant speaker, an earnest Christian, a sweet 
spirited and greatly beloved and greatly lament- 
ed man. He fell a victim to consumption. 

The church at Trenton has had a varied exper- 
ience of success and failure, of joy and sorrow ; 
but there have always been many of the very 
best citizens of the country, members, and there 
is no reason why it should not continue to exer- 
cise a great influence over the community. Some 
years later, a congregation was organized at 
Evans, composed largely of the children of my 
father's old friend and neighbor, Andrew Evans. 
I do not know certainly, but have an impression 
that the congregation was organized by brother 
H. U. Dale of Trenton. 



HISTOEICAL A]^D BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 287 

CHAPTER XYI. 

MERCER COUN"TY. 

As early as 1853, the writer found a congrega- 
tion at the village of Middlebmy, which held its 
meetings at the residence of the members. This 
congregation was built up under the joint labors of 
Elder Thomas Thompson and his son-in-law, Elder 
William Reed, who was raised in Monroe county, 
near the town of Middle Grove. In December 1853, 
the writer preached two discourses for this congre- 
gation at the house of old brother Thaxton. He 
was a pioneer from Virginia or Tennesse ; had 
built for himself a comfortable log house with one 
room large enough to hold meetings in. At the 
time I preached there three young ladies, the 
daughters of a brother Williams, made the 
good confession, and were baptized by Elder E-eed. 
I afterwards met at least one member of this fam- 
ily, and one of the three referred to, at Cloverdale 
in California. She had remained steadfast in the 
faith, and had reared her family, even in that dis- 
tant country, in the faith she then confessed. 

At Princeton I found a few disciples, but wheth- 
er a congregation had then been organized or not, 
I am unable to state. While there I made my 
home with a brother McLelland, who kept the 
only hotel in the town. It was here that I met 



388 THE CHRISTIA]^ CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

Ibrother Jolm S. Allen, of Bethany, for tlie first 
time. He came from his home to attend the meet- 
ing. The services were held in the old log court 
house long since gone. The house was heated by 
a log fire in an old-fashioned tire-place which occu- 
pied the larger part of one end of the building. 
The people sat on rude seats improvised for the 
occasion. The pulpit was the judge's stand, 
which was a dry-goods box placed in one corner 
with a book-board nailed up on one side. The 
fire had been built too far out on the hearth, and 
the chimney could not draw up the smoke. The 
house was soon filled. The men and women 
coughed and the babies cried, but the people gave 
the speaker a most respectful and attentive hear- 
ing. The weather became suddenly severely cold 
and the meeting was not continued. The result 
was one confession. The writer did not again see 
Princeton till some five years ago, when he found 
the village greatly improved, the country filled up. 
The cause had never prospered in Princeton. A 
little struggling band was found still trying to 
establish a congregation. Assisted by the State 
Board, they now have regular preaching and have 
succeeded in building a house of worship. Brother 
Procter of Independence has greatly aided them 
by one or two protracted meetings in the last few 
years. Brother L. H. Otto of Boone county, is How 
their preacher and he reports the outlook hopeful. 
In 1853 the largest congregation was at Goahen, 



HISTOKICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 289 

some miles distant from Princeton. I did not 
learn who founded tlie church there but I remem- 
ber distinctly the name of brother and sister Ray 
who attended the meeting at Princeton, and were 
most intelligent and zealous disciples. 

There are other congregations in the county 
now but of their organization and history I have 
no information. 

PUTNAM AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES. 

There was at or near Unionville in Putnam 
county, and at Milan in Sullivan county, even as 
early as 1853, congregations, but of them I cannot 
write, as I never visited either of them and have 
been unable to obtain any information in regard 
to them. 

LINN COUNTY. 

In the year 1853, I made a visit to the county 
seat, Linneus. I reached there on Friday evening 
before Christmas, and stopped with that eccentric 
landlord. Col. Holland. When I arrived and or- 
dered my horse to the stable and my supper, he at 
once assumed that I was a *' representative " of 
some mercantile house in St. Louis. I was quite 
young, only twenty-one years of age, was dressed 
in a suit of gray clothing with a gray cap which 
had been presented to me, and altogether did not 

19 



290 THE CHKISTIAK CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

present a very clerical appearance. He asked me 
when I left St. Louis. I told Mm it had been some 
time since. What route had I come ? I told him by 
way of Columbia, Huntsville, Keytsville, Bruns- 
wick, CarroUton, Chillicothe, Trenton, Middle- 
bury, Princeton, back to Trenton and thence to 
Linneus. This confirmed his conjecture. After 
supper a party of gentlemen came in who, I soon 
discovered, were a surveying party on the Hanni- 
bal and St. Joseph railroad. After the usual salu- 
tions they enquired, " What are the prospects for 
a merry Christmas?" The Colonel exclaimed, 
" Christmas ? I suppose we shall have none. The 
Methodists have been holding a " distracted meet- 
ing " here for some time and every body has been 
getting religion, and I hear there is to be a "Camp- 
bellite " preacher here to-morrow. Of course there 
was a laugh, and after some comment not very 
flattering to the preachers, the topic was changed. 
I said nothing and soon retired. I bore a letter of 
introduction to brother William Penlington, a 
merchant of the town. The next morning I found 
him and presented my letter and returned to the 
hotel. At the appointed hour the court house bell 
rang, and the people began to assemble. The 
hotel was on the square and in plain view of the 
court house door. The Colonel frequently went to 
the window and watched the gathering congrega- 
tion. At length he turned to me and said: "Lets 
go over and hear that * Campbellite ' and find 



HISTORICAL AN-D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 291 

out what he has to say." I said " Agreed." So 
we went and took seats together. There was 
great curiosity to see the preacher, and none were 
more curious than " mine host." As the congrega- 
tion gathered he would turn his head to the door 
every time it was opened. At length the people 
ceased to arrive and when all were quietly seated 
I arose and walked up on the judge's stand, drew 
out my hymn book and Bible and commenced the 
services. The look of blank astonishment on the 
Colonel's face was really amusing. He looked at 
me in utter confasion, but heard me patiently to 
the conclusion, and then hurried away. I went 
home with brother Penlington, and made his 
house my home till Monday, when the meeting 
was closed. My horse remained at the hotel sta- 
ble. When I went for him the Colonel was very po- 
lite, would charge nothing, but said : ''Young man 
I have a crow to pick with you. When you came 
here Friday evening, why did you not tell me you 
were a preacher, so that you might have been 
treated as a preacher?" I replied, "For very 
good reasons. 1st. If I had told you that I was a 
preacher, you would probably have doubted it. 2d 
If you had believed me you would have thought 
that I wanted to save a bill. 3d. I knew you would 
find out who I was in time." He seemed satisfied 
and said : " Well when you come this way again 
just remember that Holland always keeps ' Camp- 
bellite corn and coffee.' The acquaintance thus 



292 THE CHRISTIA]^ CHUECH IN" MISSOURI. 

formed continued up to the Colonel's death. His 
wife became a member of the Christian church in 
Linnens and was well and widely known among 
the Grand River churches. There were no addi- 
tions during the meeting. Some pleasant acquain- 
tances were made, and at a subsequent visit in 
1854, quite a number of persons obeyed the gospel. 
The church had been in existence some years, but 
had preaching up to that time only when a 
preacher passed by. Subsequently, however, they 
had the services of several of our ablest preachers 
and grew to be a strong congregation. Brother 
James N. Wright has probably served them long- 
er as pastor than any one else. 

There was a congregation in the southwest cor- 
ner of the county in the neighborhood of old 
brother Brown, but of its organization or subse- 
quent history I have no information. 

Among the early members of the church in Lin- 
neus were Mrs. Col. John Wall, Mrs. Prewitt and 
her daughters, Dr. and Mrs. Relfe, William Pen- 
lington and Thomas E. Brawner. 

CLAY COUNTY. 

The cause of primitive Christianity was planted 
in Clay county in a very early day in the history 
of Missouri, and the churches have been favored 
with the services of many of the ablest men of 
the State. The success and respectability of any 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 293 

religious movement in any community depends 
largely upon the ability and character of its first 
advocates. In this respect the churches in Clay 
county were indeed very highly favored. When 
about to write a brief history of our cause in this 
county, and casting about for the men most 
prominent in planting the early churches, my 
thought turned to Elder A. H. F. Payne, the first 
resident minister of the Christian church in the 
county. 

Feeling that I was not in the possession of the 
material for a suitable notice of this eminent ser- 
vant of God, I addressed a letter to our distin- 
guished and venerable brother, General A. W. 
Doniphan, who resided many years in Clay coun- 
ty and was familiarly acquainted with brother 
Payne from the time of his coming to Missouii 
up to the time of his death. I requested him to 
Avrite a sketch of his life. To this request the fol- 
lowing reply was received, which I take the lib- 
of publishing: 

Richmond, Mo., March 1st, 1884. 

Elder T. P. Haley. Deos Friend and Brother: — 
Your very kind letter came to hand in due time, 
and should have been answered more promptly, 
but untoward surroundings prevented. I am glad 
that the history of the church in Missouri is to be 
written up, and doubly rejoice that you have un- 
dertaken it. No man could do it better, perhaps 



294 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

none so well,^born and raised as you were under the 
shadow of such grand pioneers as Elders Joel H. 
Haden, Mc.Bride, T. M. Allen, Marcus P. Wills, 
Allen Wright and that brilliant but erring brother, 
Jerry P. Lancaster, of whom I can say, " with all 
thy faults I love thee still." I regret that I can- 
not assist you. How gladly would I do so! 
When brother Payne's life was about being 
sketched for the Missouri Book of Martyrs, or 
some such work, at the request of the family I 
consented to do my best, but they changed their 
preference and requested Grov. Woodson to write 
it. It was well and ably done, as I now recollect 
it, though I have not seen it for years. I was 
sincerely glad to find it better done than I could 
have done it. The Governor is not only an elo- 
quent advocate, but wields a facile pen. Now 
the task is simply impossible for me. I have nei- 
ther the mental or the physical ability. The life 
of a grand man is a grand theme and can be 
written only by one in the vigor of manhood. 
No one knew brother Payne more intimately than 
myself. From the day he came to Missouri, our 
intercourse was free and unrestrained. No one 
admired him more or appreciated his noble nature 
more, nor could better excuse his few sharrt com- 
ings. We all have them, or we w^ould cease to be 
human. 

The sketch of Gov. Woodson with what you 
know of him and what James and Miss Lou can 



HISTORICAL AND BIOaRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 295 

tell you, will enable you to do far greater justice 
to the subject than I possibly could. A few 
years makes a great difference after one has 
passed the '' three score years and ten." Almost 
daily I am asked to write something of the early 
history of the " bar and bench " of Missouri, and 
of the pioneer days of the North West. May the 
good Lord speed you in your grand undertaking. 

Very truly, 

A. W. D0][^IPHAN." 

On the receipt of this letter, I looked up the 
book referred to and after reading the admirably 
written " sketch " of Gov. Woodson, determined 
to insert it entire. It is indeed an admirable 
tribute to an admirable man. When it is remem- 
bered that the writer is not a member of the 
church, it must be taken not only as a tribute 
to the man, but rather a tribute to that religion 
and that calling which made brother Payne the 
grand man that he was : 

"Augustus H. F. Payne was born in Mason 
county, Kentucky, on the 14th day of April 1807. 
He was the son of William Payne who com- 
manded a company of Virginia Volunteers in the 
revolutionary army. After the establishment of 
our National independence, and while Kentucky 
was almost an unbroken wilderness, Captain 
Payne moved with his family there and settled in 
Lexington, which then numbered only a few hun- 



,296 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

dred inhabitants, who lived exclusively in log^ 
cabins. A few years later he settled in Bath 
county, but remained there but a short time till he 
removed to Mason county where he permanently 
settled and where Augustus was born. For 
more than forty years and down to the time of 
his death, William Payne was a distinguished 
Baptist preacher in Kentucky. He died as he 
lived, a Christian, and in the full confidence of a 
blessed immortality. Augustus resided in his 
father's family until he was married in 1828 to 
Mary Morris, the daughter of Judge James Morris 
of Mason county, Kentucky. Shortly after his 
marriage in October of the same year, he became 
a member of the Baptist church at Mayslick, 
having been previously immersed by Elder John 
Smith in the Ohio R-iver. During the great re- 
formatory movement set on foot and advocated 
with as much ability as success, by Barton W. 
Stone and others in 1830, the subject of this 
notice broke off from the Baptists and became a 
member of the Christian Church. 

In 1834 he was chosen to the work of the min- 
istry, and preached regularly from that time in 
Mason and surrounding counties with great satis- 
faction to the churches and with eminent success, 
until, in 1836, he with his little family, left his 
native State and settled near Liberty in Clay 
county, Missouri. From the day he became a 
citizen of Missouri up to the time of his death, he 



HISTORICAL AN^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 297 

was a prominent evangelist in the cliurcli to 
which he belonged, and did as much if not more, 
than any other man in the State, towards the es- 
tablishment of the churches and the evangeliza- 
tion of Northwest Missouri. That he received in- 
to the church and baptized more persons than 
any other preacher in Missouri between the 
years of 1836 and 1863, is almost if not absolute- 
ly certain. Possessing as he did a fine under- 
standing, the most consummate knowledge of the 
springs to human action, being an excellent 
speaker, and enjoying the advantages of a pleas- 
ing, captivating address, and, above all, being 
thoroughly devoted to the work, he possessed a 
power and wielded an influence, during the latter 
years of his life, that was almost irresistible, 
among those with whom he associated. 

From 1836 until 1854, Mr. Payne was a citizen 
of Clay county. In 1854 he settled near Platts- 
burg in Clinton county, where he resided continu- 
ously up to the time of his death in 1863, devot- 
ing his time almost exclusively to preaching the 
gospel. His labor was not confined entirely to 
the churches in Clinton, Clay and Platte counties 
where he preached regularly, but he travelled ex- 
tensively in north-west Missouri, and at the time 
of his death and many years preceding, was re- 
garded as one of the most eloquent, successful 
and acceptable preachers belonging to the Chris- 
tian church in the State. 



298 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH ITT MISSOURI. 

Mr. Payne being so widely known and possess- 
ing so extensive an influence, was, in January 
1861, when the act calling a Convention, which 
was in fact to decide whether Missouri should go 
j^orth or South, was passed — frequently consulted 
by the people as to the proper course to be pur- 
sued by them, and greater regard was paid to 
what he said than almost any other man north of 
the Missouri River. That he at all times and 
under all circumstances advised strict obedience 
to the laws, and inculcated a reverence for the 
constitution of his country, second only to that 
due to the Bible, all who knew him, to whatever 
party they may belong, will testify. 

Born in Kentucky, having always lived in a 
slave state, and having been the owner of slaves 
all his life, it could not be reasonably expected in 
1861, to find him uniting with those who believed 
that slavery " was the sum of all human villiany," 
who were waging an unconstitutional war for its 
overthrow. At the same time it was just as little 
to be expected that he would advocate the disso- 
lution of the Union, and the annihilation of the 
Constitution which guaranteed the enjoyment of 
every right and interest recognized and estab- 
lished thereby. 

Consistency, patriotism, common sense, Chris- 
tianity, national pride, love of liberty, all elevated 
and holy considerations in his judgment demand- 
ed that in 1861, he should, as he had always doue, 



HISTORICAL AJ^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 299 

plant himself firmly upon tlie Constitution of Ms 
country and in opposition to all men and parties 
who were not willing to live up to and support its 
provisions. These resolves, these determinations, 
and the advocacy of them, as will be seen in the 
sequel, cost him his life, deprived a dependent 
wife and his children of their stay, comfort and 
support, silenced forever the tongue of a patriot, 
and stilled in death the eloquent pleadings of one 
of the most gifted advocates of Christianity, the 
State could Iboast. 

The act calling a Convention was signed by the 
Governor on the 21st of January 1861. On the 
25th of the same month, a large and enthusiastic 
convention of the people of Clinton county was 
held at Plattsburg, in pursuance of widely pub- 
lished notices, for the purpose of nominating a 
candidate for the Convention. The Convention 
embraced nearly every property holder, and lead- 
ing man in the county. To Mr. Payne's utter 
astonishment and altogether without solicitation 
on his part, it nominated him for a seat in the 
convention from the Tenth Senatorial District, 
composed of Clinton, Clay and Ray counties. 
Being in town, and informed of his nomination, he 
immediately repaired to the Court House in which 
the Convention was held, and after thanking the 
Convention for the honor conferred, declined to 
accept the nomination. His friends assembled 
around him, urged his compliance with their 



300 THE CHRISTIAK CHURCH 11^ MISSOURI. 

wishes, and with an importunity that would 
admit of no denial, eventually induced him to 
say that he would make the race. 

In consenting to do so, he used, in the conclu- 
sion of his address, the following language : " So 
long, fellow citizens, as there remains a single 
hope of perpetuating the Union, and preserving 
the Constitution of our common country, I will 
desert neither.'' The fourth resolution passed by 
the Convention that nominated Mr. Payne is as 
follows : " Resolved : That we are still willing 
to adhere to the Constitution which our fathers 
made, and under which our country has grown so 
famous and powerful, but we want it as they 
made it, unimpaired by violent hands. This we 
are anxious to perpetuate and hand down to our 
posterity ; but a Union without equal rights, we 
utterly detest and will have none of it." In an 
address printed and sent to the voters in the dis- 
trict in which he was a candidate, a few days 
after his nomination and which is now before me, 
he used the following language : "I therefore say 
that I am opposed to coercion, because it is noth- 
ing more nor less than a declaration of war, and 
war once begun, I should feel that all was lost. 
The best hopes of the civilized world would be lost, 
and lost forever. I am opposed to Secession be 
cause in recognizing the correctness of that princi- 
ple, should division be forced upon us, we could 
have no guarantee for the permanency of any other 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 301 

Confederacy tliat might Ibe attempted. I am op- 
posed to submission because that does not become 
freemen. I am willing to accept some such basis 
as the Crittenden compromise, etc., etc." The 
politicians of the district combined and Mr. Payne 
was defeated for a seat in the convention. There- 
upon he immediately retired to his farm and 
sought for rest and happiness in the bosom of 
his family, abandoned politics and all that had 
for the hour engaged his attention, and with re- 
newed zeal, resumed his labors as a Christian 
minister. Mr. Payne was never a politican, never 
in his life alluded to politics in the pulpit, and 
upon principle, believed that all such allusions 
were improper and that politics and religion both 
suffered by being mingled together. 

Mr. Payne continued upon his farm with his 
family except when he was away preaching, tak- 
ing no part in the civil war, or the questions grow- 
ing out of it, (so far as it is known) until in the 
winter of 1862. To be sure now and then certain 
persons whose loyalty in the beginning was not 
free from suspicion, but who had become intensely 
radical as the war progressed and the Union forces 
gradually took possession of the country, were 
heard to make threats, throw out dark hints, re- 
specting Mr. Payne's bad example and the un- 
wholesome influence he was exercising clandes- 
tinely in the social circle as well as in his capac- 
ity as minister, but no demonstration of a hostile 



302 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOUEI. 

character was made towards Min until the time 
and in the manner stated in ths following narra- 
tive written by his daughter : 

MISS LUCELLA PAYITE's ACCOFITT OF THE AREEST 

AND MURDER OF HER FATHER, AUGUSTUS 

H. F. PAYNE. 

"In the winter of 1862, when Maj or-General 
Halleck's order JSTo. 29 appeared, my father be- 
came convinced that he could not stay at home 
without molestation, consequently he went to St. 
Joseph to effect an arrangement with the military 
authorities by which he could remain at home in 
peace. General Loan who was then in command 
at St. Joseph, required him to file a bond in the 
penalty of four thousand dollars conditioned for 
his good behavior etc., but through the influence 
of W. P. Hall, then Lieutenant-Governor . of the 
State, it was reduced to two thousand dollars. He 
at first, by the terms of his bond, was confined to 
six counties, but finding his sacred duties required 
a more extended field, he applied for and obtained 
a "pass," from Major J. M. Bassett, Provost Mar- 
shall, to go anywhere in the Federal lines, and 
with this he went to and fro, unquestioned. During 
the summer of 1863, a band of bush-whackers un- 
der Hart, kept all north-west Missouri, in a state 
fermentation. Whenever a Radical became alarm- 
ed at their daring raids, or wished to wreak his 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 303 

personal malice upon an enemy, and rid himself 
of a dangerous rival, all lie had to do, was to go 
before some petty officer, state his life or property 
was in danger, and thereupon the enemy or rival 
was selected as a victim and murdered. My 
father was such a victim. A league more dark 
and terrible than that of the Inquisition sped the 
bolts of death. Private soldiers were used as 
instruments in the hands of radical citizens, and 
officers stealthily guided the fatal messenger of 
death to their victim's heart. Jo. Hart kno\Ying 
by some means that the militia of Clinton county 
were withdrawn to Clay county on a scout, took 
advantage of their absence to make a raid on 
Plattsburg, robbed the county treasury, a few in- 
dividuals, and left at his leisure, without hurting 
any body except one citizen who was accidentally 
shot. The greatest excitement followed, and 
every body expected the defenseless citizens would 
in some way be made to pay the penalty of the 
negligence of those in power. My father was in 
Buchanan county holding a meeting, when the 
raid occurred. A few days afterwards my brother, 
then a small boy, was sent to Plattsburg on busi- 
ness. Whilst there he was arrested and kept un- 
der guard all day, accused of being with bush- 
whackers, which he stoutly denied, and defied 
them to the proof. Finding he would not be fright- 
ened, he was released and sent home with a ver- 
bal order from the Provost Marshall for my father 



304 THE CHEISTIAN CHUKCH IN MISSOURI. 

to report to liim the following Wednesday. The 
citizens were ordered to meet, and devise some 
means to sappress bush-whackers, well knowing 
that they were unarmed, and violently opposed to 
bush- whacking. My father had no objection to 
expressing his true sentiments, especially if by so 
doing he could be instrumental in restoring quiet. 
In connection with Judge Birch and other conser- 
vative men, they passed and signed a series of 
anti-buswhacking resolutions. After the meeting 
adjourned a squad of soldiers surrounded my 
father and endeavored to force him into a drink- 
ing saloon to treat them. He firmly refused, but 
finally, to escape their insults, went into a store, 
and bought them some tobacco. A company of 
the Missouri 25th (Col. Harding's regiment) under 
Captain Coleman, was stationed in Plattsburg 
about ten days afterward, and the great excite- 
ment in consequence of the raid had in a great 
measure subsided. My father went in and out of 
town whenever business or inclination prompted, 
unmolested. He received in the meantime, a letter 
from Nashville stating that a dear neice had been 
sentenced to Alton prison, under the prosecution 
of Greneral E-osecrans. He determined to make an 
effort for her release. With this view he went to 
St. Joseph to obtain the influence of the resident 
authorities and received from W. P. Hall a letter 
of introduction to Major-General Schofield, then 
commanding the department of the Missouri. He 



HISTORICAL A^B BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 305 

also visited Col. Harding at St. Joseph for the pur- 
pose of obtaining pay for six wagon loads of corn, 
which had been taken from him and vouchers giv- 
en for only fifty bushels, at twenty cents a bushel, 
which account Col. Harding refused to have paid. 
My father reached home on the 3d of June. After 
finding the family well and spending some time 
with us, he left the house without telling anyone 
where he was going. But as his usual custom was 
to walk over the premises after being several days 
absent, we supposed he was somewhere on the 
farm. He had been gone but a short time when 
we saw a large squad of soldiers advancing 
toward the house. My mother without waiting 
to see what they wanted, sent my little brother 
in quest of him to acquaint him with the fact. 
They halted at the fence and a Lieutenant with 
two men came to the house. I met them at the 
hall door. The Lieutenant asked if that was the 
residence of the Rev. Mr. Payne. I replied that it 
was. He then asked for him, I told him I did not 
know where he was, and enquired what he wanted 
with him. He refused to answer, but asked for 
my mother. When mother came he made the 
same inquiries of her that he had of me, but told 
her he had an order for her husband's arrest, and 
that he would search the house. She told him he 
was welcome to search, that my father was not in 
it, that had he known of their coming he would 
not have left. He had done nothing to lead him 

20 



306 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH ITT MISSOUEI. 

to fear tlieni or any other soldiers, that he was 
well known to the military authorities of the dis- 
trict and had "protection papers" from Gen. Hall 
and Maj. Bassett. He replied that neither Hall 
nor Bassett were any authority to him, that he 
belonged to the United States service and not to 
the State militia. He then ordered his men to 
search the house, saying that if my father gave 
himself up it would be well, and if not he would 
shoot him, intimating that he was hiding from 
him. Before searching the house I asked him to let 
me see his orders. He said he never showed them 
to ladies. I then asked by whose orders he was 
acting. He said Col. Harding's. When did you 
receive the orders ? " The evening before." I then 
told him I thought it exceedingly strange that Col. 
Harding did not detain my father in St. Joseph 
the day before, that he had just returned from 
there, had seen Col. Harding, and transacted busi- 
ness with him, that it would have been more 
expeditious as well as more certain to have kept 
him when he had him, rather than to take the 
trouble to send thirty-five miles for him. He grew 
very angry, and said it was none of my business 
to question him. I replied I claimed to be a lady, 
and I hoped he would treat me as one, that he had 
said he was here for the purpose of arresting my 
father, and what concerned him concerned me, 
that in questioning him I only manifested a 
daughter's interest in a father's welfare. He 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 307 

seemed somewhat mollified and apologized for 
the roughness of his speech, saying, ^'Certainly, 
Miss Payne, I accord you that privilege, but you 
must know that a soldier has no discretion in such 
matters. Your father is a perfect stranger to me ; 
I would not know him if I were to see him. I 
know no cause for his arrest, but it is my duty as 
a subaltern to obey the orders of my superior offic- 
ers. I then asked if he would take my father im- 
mediately to St. Joseph, as his orders emanated 
from there. He replied : " ISTo, only to Plattsburg. I 
shall there turn him over to Capt. Coleman, who 
will send him to Col. Harding. 

My sister accompanied the men through the 
house not making any search, being convinced 
he was not in it. The men scattered over the yard 
and garden, helping themselves to whatever they 
pleased. The Lieutenant seated himself in the 
hall, and talked in an insolent tone about ^'bush- 
whackers." My mother answered that citizens 
were not responsible for bush-whackers, as they 
had been disarmed, and were themselves defense- 
less, that those who had arms ought to get them 
out of the country ; that her husband being from 
home the greater part of his time, in the discharge 
of his ministerial duties, knew very Jittle about 
such matters, probably less than any other man in 
the community. He again reiterated in the most 
positive manner that so far as Mr. Payne was con- 
cerned he had no charge against him of any kind. 



308 THE CHRISTIATf CHURCH i:^ MISSOURI. 

He was obeying those higher in authority than 
himself, in seeking to arrest him. My father had 
dropped into a neighbor's house to while away a 
social hour, and there my little brother found him. 
Conscious of his own integrity, he felt he had no 
reason to shun anyone, so upon receiving the infor- 
mation, he immediately returned home. I met 
him at the gate and told him what was on the 
tapis, whilst walking with him to the front door. 
The Lieutenant arose as my father approached 
and said he presumed he addressed the Eev. Mr. 
Payne. My father told him he did. He then in- 
troduced himself as Lieutenant Morton of the Mis- 
souri 25th and remarked, "Mr. Payne, it is my 
duty to arrest you." My father said : " Your 
orders, sir." He replied in a bluff tone, "I never 
show them. You must prepare to go with me." 
While my father was giving some orders about his 
horse, I learned from the Lieutenant that he was 
not going to return to town immediately, but was 
going on a bush -whacking scout as far as Smith- 
ville, a small village in Clay county (which was at 
at the time under the control of a very lawless set 
of men) and would not return till the following 
day. My fears were aroused. I inquired if he 
intended to take my father with him. He said he 
did. I tried ineffectually to change his purpose. 
He said he had a good many arrests to make, he 
would have plenty of company and they would 
all be sent to headquarters together. The story 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.' 309 

was not improbable, in one sense, for often as 
many as a dozen citizens were arrested ont of one 
neighborhood in times of excitement ; made to 
work on intrencliments, carry waiter, cut wood and 
perform other menial service, and the worst fears 
I had experienced had been on this account. But 
learning he would drag my father over the country 
wherever whim or caprice might suggest, keep him 
over night without reporting to headquarters, and 
that too when the most positive assurances had 
been given that he was acting under orders eman- 
ating from thence, the most violent apprehensions 
were excited in my mind^ and if I could have 
concealed my father at that moment, I would have 
done so. 

I communicated the intelligence to him, saw his 
suspicions were aroused, but he did not wish to 
betray any anxiety to the family. He appealed 
to the Lieutenant to know if such was the inten- 
tion. Upon being informed that it was, my father 
told him that he had taken a long ride that morn- 
ing and felt physically unequal to the ride ; that 
he would pledge his word and honor as a gentle- 
man to report immediately to Plattsburg. He said 
he could not think of such a thing ; that he would 
be answerable to his superiors were he to allow it. 
My father then proposed to detail a trusty guard. 
This he also refused, saying he had not a man to 
spare. The only alternative was to go with him 
as quietly as possible. His victim was in his 



310 THE CHKISTIAN CHURCH IX MISSOURI. 

clutches and he did not intend that he should es- 
cape. One of the privates took my father's bridle, 
in the presence of this officer, for which he sub- 
stituted his broken one, after which he was or 
dered to mount. I looked in every face as they 
passed me, hoping I might find one to whom I 
could appeal to befriend my father in the hour of 
need. Not one redeeming countenance met my 
anxious gaze. My mother turned to me and said 
sadly, " What a rough looking set of men to have 
such a prisoner." Alas, my own terrible forebod- 
ings echoed the thought, but I said : " Mother, 
the Lord preserved Daniel in the lion's den and 
surely He will shield His faithful servant from 
harm." 

Feeling the uselessness of attempting to follow 
him, and fearing the worst, yet hoping the best, I 
went to Plattsburg next morning, accompanied 
only by my little brother, to learn what disposi- 
tion had been made of him. On reaching town, I 
found that Captain Coleman, instead of being at 
his post to receive his prisoners, had gone with 
Lieutenant- Colonel Porter, Thomas Yiglini, the 
Provost Marshall of the county, and others, to St. 
Joseph. The scout under Morton had not returned, 
and so secret had been the expedition, that no one 
to whom I appealed could give any information, 
not even having heard that my father stood in 
danger or arrest. Upon expressing my fears that 
personal violence would be offered, my friends as- 



HISTORICAL A^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 311 

sured me that my apprehensions were groundless, 
that whilst* the men might be capable of any vil- 
lainy, it would be too barefaced to attempt such a 
thing with a man like my father. No officer 
would have the hardihood to risk his reputation 
by such an outrage ; he was too well known, the 
authorities would be compelled to take action in 
the case. I was told it would be useless to apply 
to Major Green, who was then in command of the 
Militia, and whose headquarters were at the 
Court House, while the 25th was camped at the 
fair-grounds and were not under his control. A 
prey to the most torturing doubts and maddening 
suspicions, I was on my horse in the street when 
I discovered the scout coming in. I waited to see 
if my father was with them ; but oh, the unspeak- 
able anguish of the moment ! Instead of seeing 
him, I recognized the horse and saddle, rode by a 
drunken soldier. If ever the human countenance 
expressed the fiendish malignity of Satan, it was 
written on that man's face. I tried to stop him to 
learn where the owner was. He loaded me with 
the vilest abuse, said he did not care a d — n 
where he was. If I had seen my father murdered 
before my eyes, I could not have been more aw- 
fully certain of his fate. I believe I screamed, 
Mr. James Stoner ran to me, and asked what was 
the matter. I told him as well as I could. He 
said it looked bad, but probably they had taken 
my father's horse and given him a more indiffer- 



312 THE CHRISTIAN CHTJECH IN MISSOURI. 

ent one to ride, that part of the scout; had gone to 
the fair-grounds by another street. "Perhaps I 
would find him there, and very kindly offered to 
accompany me. He walked at my bridle and 
questioned every soldier. All told different stor- 
ies, but two at last told me, positively, that they 
had come by our house and "' left the old man at 
home ;" that they really had nothing against him. 
When asked how the horse then came into their 
possession, I was satisfied when they told me that 
they were pressing horses every day, and had 
brought it on to town. Morton had not returned 
and I was about to turn back from my fruitless 
errand when my friend said : " I do not wish need- 
lessly to alarm you, but I am far from being sat- 
isfied with these men's stories, and I advise you 
not to return home without seeing Lieutenant Mor- 
ton. It is possible your father may be with him. 
We started back to town, and met the Lieutenant, 
stopped him, and asked for my father. He replied, 
" Left him in the brush." I cried out, " Then you 
have murdered him." He dropped his head and 
never looked me in the face again. He said if it 
was any satisfaction to me to believe him murder- 
ed I was welcome to think so, but he had made his 
escape from his sergeant and two men near 
the railroad and was in the brush where he be- 
longed ; that he would sneak in that night. I re- 
plied if he knew anything of my father he would 
know he never associated with men of doubtful 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 313 

character ; that such men as Hall and Bassett who 
lived in the district ought to know more of him 
than a stranger like himself ; that he had no rea- 
son to fear being brought to trial, as he was well 
known to every leading man in the District, and 
did not doubt he could clear himself of any 
charges that might be brought against him. He 
said he knew he was well known, that these 
preachers had more influence than any other class 
of men, and that if they all had benefit of a 
rope, the country would be better off. He would 
deny that he had killed him, but I could see 
he wished me to believe him dead, and yet I beg- 
ged of this heartless wretch in a manner I would 
have scorned to have begged for my own life, to 
tell me where his body might be found. My every 
prayer was met by a constant and brutal insult. 
Being convinced I could gain no concessions from 
him, that he only exulted in the torture he was 
inflicting, I left him to seek assistance elsewhere. 
I met with much expressed sympathy, with but no 
real help ; every body was afraid. If he had been 
taken who would be safe ? Crushed with despair, I 
turned my sorrowful steps to meet the anxious 
hearts at home. How I reached there God only 
knows. The one mad conviction welled up from 
my agonized heart. I was the messenger of woe to 
the loved ones. The lightning bolt that would 
pierce my darling mother's heart, would first fall 
from my lips. How could I go, yet how could I 



314 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IIT MISSOURI. 

stay away ? When tlie liorrible desolation of the 
murderous assassin comes home to our own hearts, 
who can tell its bitterness save those who have 
loved and lost and suifered alike ? We tried to 
rouse the neighbors to look for him, but they were 
afraid to go that night for fear of being called 
bush-whackers. How we lived through its long 
wretched watches is known only to Him who never 
slumbers nor sleeps. Two young ladies went to 
town next morning to obtain permission to look 
for the body, fearing the consequences for their 
friends, were they to undertake the search without 
it. A written permission was given by the Pro- 
vost Marshall for the friends to look for Mr. Payne 
who was missing and reported to be murdered. 
Some neighbors had collected in the meantime 
and found him about three miles from home, shot 
twice through the heart, the breast of his coat and 
hands being powder-burnt. He had upon his per- 
son his "protection papers" and the letter from 
General Hall to Major-General Schofield. A 
neighbor went for the coroner (Mr. O. P. Riley) to 
hold an inquest. He applied to Major John Green 
to furnish him an escort, who, instead of doing so, 
remarked if he undertook it, he thought it more 
than likely some one would be employed to hold 
an inquest over him. The Provost Marshall said 
if he were the coroner, he would consider it more 
than his life was worth to risk it. Whether Mr. 
Hiley considered these speeches as threats I can- 



HISTORICAL A:XD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 315 

not say, but two things are certain : there was no 
escort furnished, and he did not go. He himself 
told me he knew he could not obtain a jury who 
would dare render a verdict according to the facts. 
The miscreants who thus foully murdered a good 
and true man, in giving an account of the hellish 
deed, said they asked him if he wanted to pray, 
and while engaged in prayer they took his life. I 
have often wondered if, in humble imitation of his 
suffering Master, his last prayer was not, "Father, 
forgive them, they know not what they do." Mir- 
iam watched with a sister's love over the frail ark 
containing the infant Moses, whose destiny had 
been placed at the mercy of the Nile, to escape 
the sword of the tyrant; Rizpah from the Rock 
Gibeah, guarded with sleepless eye her beloved 
dead, slaughtered for the sins of Saul, and suffered 
neither the birds of the air nor the beasts of the 
field to prey upon them by night or by day. But 
no such melancholy privilege was ours. No eye 
of affection watched the death sleep of our darling 
dead. His body lay out on the common more than 
twenty-four hours before w^e succeeded in having 
him brought home. "We were warned it would not 
do to attempt a public burial, that the less demon- 
stration the better. Although a Mason, no resolu- 
tions of respect were offered; a Christian and a 
minister, yet we were denied the prayers of conso- 
lation which he had so often offered to others. He 
was buried as privately as possible in the yard at 



316 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH IX MISSOURI. 

home. He too "with dyed garments has trodden 
the wine-press alone." No loved one to wipe the 
death-damp from his noble brow, to fold the pulse- 
less hands, and close the glazing eyes. Nor have 
we a farewell word or a whispered blessing to sof- 
ten the horrors of recollection. 

'Tis the disposition of some to bow to the storm; 
'tis mine to brave it. I knew it would be useless 
to attempt to have the murderers brought before a 
civil tribunal. As the civil law was almost entire- 
ly powerless, and the military, in a great degree^ 
implicated in the "deep damnation of his taking 
off," I still determined to do all I could by seeking 
a military investigation. I thought if they would 
take any action in the case, they would not let 
such an outrage go unrebuked and unpunished. 
The manner of his death would speak in thunder 
tones to the authorities of the utter inability to 
reach him in any other way than cold-blooded 
murder. It could not be said, " We have a law, 
and by our law he must die." With this view I 
wrote to Hon. Silas Woodson of St. Joseph, giving 
all the facts I had obtained in the case. He 
promptly came to my aid, by placing my letter 
before General Hall, who endorsed it and sent to 
Major-General Schofield, requesting him to take 
the necessary steps to have the, men brought to jus- 
tice. A preliminary examination was ordered to 
take place before Major Bassett; I was summoned 
to attend. An inexperienced girl, I had never been 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 317 

in a court roonij nor heard an oath administered 
in my life. Solitary and alone, I went, without 
counsel, and against the advice of friends, sus- 
tained by the one mad hope of vindicating my 
father's memory by challenging those in power to 
justify the deed if they could. Major Bassett 
expressed much sympathy for me, and treated me 
very gentlemanly; summoned all the witnesses I 
wanted and allowed me to select a lawyer (Judge 
Tutt), and submit the testimony to him, and pro- 
nounced, with him, the mass of testimony over- 
whelming, and said no military commission could 
fail to act upon it. The evidence was expressed to 
Col. J. O. Broadhead, Provost Marshall General 
of the State, was duly received and receipted for. 
Weeks lapsed into months, and not hearing from 
the case, I wrote to Colonel Broadhead to know if 
the trial which had just closed at St. Joseph was 
a farce, the semblance of justice without its real- 
ity. In answer to which I received a prompt 
reply, saying he felt a special interest in the case, 
and would do all in his power for its prosecution, 
that he had sent an order for the arrest of the 
men, would have them brought to St. Louis for 
trial, and would send for me to attend. That was 
the last I ever heard of it. During the trial in St. 
Joseph, Major Bassett stated that there was little 
doubt that assurance had been given by Colonel 
Harding, that no investigation would ever be 
allowed, and appealed to General Hall to corrob- 



318 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH I^ MISSOURI. 

orate the statement. Not replying I glanced at his 
face and read this determination : " I would see 
the murderers punished, but don't expect any- 
official assistance from me to have it done." I 
tried Major Bassett on this point again, when 
General Hall was not present; all the expression 
I could get was, if the case was presented in the 
right shape to the Provost Marshall of the State, 
Harding would be compelled to surrender the 
men. 

After the close of the war I wrote again to Col- 
onel Broadhead in reference to the affair. After 
some delay he replied, said he had the men arrest- 
ed, that Colonel Harding was much incensed 
because they were charged in the warrant with 
murder. They were brought to St. Louis and 
turned over to an officer of his department (he did 
not call his name) with the instructions that if the 
evidence was sufficient to prefer the charge before 
a military commission. The testimony w:as sub- 
mitted and he decided there was no case, and the 
men were discharged. So much for justice from 
military despots in Missouri. Whether these men 
were arrested or not I do not know. One thing I 
do know, however, and that is, that I was assured 
by the Provost Marshall-General, tliat when they 
were arrested I should be notified of the fact, and 
opportunity should be given me to appear and 
produce the evidence of their guilt. This promise 
was never redeemed, and if the guilty murderers 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 319 

were arrested, instead of being tried, they were 
turned loose without the evidence being heard, 
with the seal of approbation of their murderous 
deed placed upon them by the highest military 
authority in the department of Missouri, and to 
the eternal disgrace of all connected therewith. 
The murderers are still at large. Whether justice 
will ever be meted out to them depends upon the 
developments of the veiled future. But this I 
know, there is a Power, higher than the stars and 
deeper than the grave, that still rules the counsels 
of men, and though they may escape human retri- 
bution, they can not escape the divine. His blood, 
like the blood of the righteous Abel will cry aloud 
unto Him who hath said, " Vengeance is mine ; I 
will repay." I have already stated that when I 
resolved to make an effort to induce the military 
authorities to investigate the circumstances attend- 
ding the death of my father, I addressed a letter 
to Hon. Silas Woodson, who was the Judge of the 
12th Judicial Circuit, soliciting his aid and advice 
in the matter; I take the liberty of transcribing 
that letter herein, verbatim, though it was not 
written with the expectation that it would ever be 
published. This letter will show the estimation in 
which my father was held by the public and the 
view that an impartial legal mind took of the 
affair at the time : 



320 THE CHEISTIAI^ CHUKCH IJ^ MISSOUEI. 

St. Joseph, Mo., June 24th, 1863. 
Miss M. Lucilla Payn^e : — I was truly glad 
when I read your letter of the 19th inst., giving the 
horrid details of the assassination and death of 
your highly respected and deeply regretted father. 
E-umor had given several variant and unsatisfact- 
ory accounts of the sad affair; hence the great anx- 
iety I felt, in common with Mr. Payne's numerous 
friends here, to know the facts as they really tran- 
spired. I need not say your letter fully satisfied 
our wishes in regard to the matter. You have 
heard, I doubt not, before the present time, that 
the 25th E-egiment M. Y., have been ordered to 
Yicksburg, and I suppose they are now beyond 
the limits of the State. At all events they will be 
before a communication could reach St. Louis from 
here. It has never been pretended here, so far as I 
have heard, that an order was issued by Colonel 
Harding or the Provost Marshall for the arrest of 
Mr. Payne. Had such an order been issued I am 
sure that I should have heard of it, as I have 
heard the matter freely spoken of by both officers 
and soldiers in the military service. It matters 
not, however, whether your father was arrested 
with or without an order so far as the investiga- 
tion desired by you is concerned. It is lot the ar- 
rest of Mr. Payne, but his murder that concerns 
his friends particularly, and I am sure no officer in 
the army would more readily excuse his 
death by foul means when properly arrested 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 321 

and under the protection of the law, than if 
lie had been arrested without authority. No 
one who recognizes the obligations of law^ 
will excuse either officers or men in taking human 
life in the manner Mr. Payne was deprived of his. 
It was nothing more or less than a cold-blooded, 
heartless murder in violation of all law, civil and 
military. The practical question, however, is, 
what can be done to punish the guilty perpetra- 
tors of the deed ? I regret to say, nothing at the 
present time, in my judgment. General Schofield, 
I think, would have been disposed, had he been in 
full possession of all the facts, to have had the 
matter investigated before Colonel Harding's com- 
mand left the State. The command though is now 
beyond General Schofield' s Military District, and 
consequently he has no control over it. The only 
hope is that peace will once again be the lot of 
our distracted country, that the civil law will have 
its course and all who have violated it, have the 
proper punishment meted out to them. Time 
never operates as a bar to a prosecution for mur- 
der. When one feels that a great wrong has been 
done, that innocent blood calls aloud from the 
grave for the punishment of those who shed it, 
how hard it is to have to acknowledge our impo- 
tence ! How sad to feel that we can do nothing ! 
All I can say to you and to all the dear ones allied 
to my departed friend is, trust in that God in 

whom he trusted, nothing doubting. Trust that 
21 



322 THE CHEISTIAN" CHURCH IK MISSOURI. 

justice will in the end be done, and that the mem- 
ory of your father will, at the proper time and in 
the proper way, be fully vindicated. Most pro- 
foundly do I sympathize with you in your distress. 
Be consoled, however, with the thought that your 
father died regretted by the good on earth who 
knew him and that he has gone to his reward in 
heaven. 

Truly your friend, 

Silas Woodson. 

My narrative is now closed. Peace has come. 
But, alas, justice has not been done to my father's 
memory, nor have his guilty assassins suffered the 
penalty due to their great crime. 

The New Constitution of Missouri has changed 
that time-honored law alluded to in Judge Wood- 
son's letter, and under it every sort of crime, even 
murder, if committed by a heartless villain, in 
Federal uniform, whilst in the Military service, 
must for all time go unpunished. Since civiliza- 
tion first dawned upon earth, no soldier has been 
punished, by any government, for any act commit- 
ted in the regular discharge of his military duties. 
But I suppose the infamy was reserved for the 
author of our present Constitution, (known as the 
Drake Constitution) to absolve from punishment, 
the cold-blooded murderer of a peaceful and unof- 
fending citizen. 

M. LuciLLA Payne. 



HISTORICAL AIS^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 323 

This graphic account of the death of brother 
Payne, was written at the request of the author of 
The Missouri Book of Martyrs. It is couched in 
strong language, but there is not a human heart, 
that will censure a loving daughter for feeling 
deeply and writing strongly under the circum- 
stances. It is the judgment of those who knew 
brother Payne, that the eloquent tribute paid to 
him by his distinguished friend, the Hon. Silas 
Woodson, is not in the least overdrawn, that 
indeed much more might in truth, and perhaps 
ought in justice, to be written of his labors and 
success in the gospel ministry. It may be said of 
him, " Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, 
yea, saith the Spirit, from henceforth they rest 
from their labors and their works do follow them." 
Brother Payne left three sons and four daughters 
besides his devoted wife, to mourn his loss. 

Captain Jas. H. Payne was a brave and gallant 
soldier in the Confederate army, and was in the 
service at the time of his father's death. On the 
return of peace he engaged in business in St. 
Louis, and subsequently removed to Kansas City, 
where he is now engaged in business. He is an 
intelligent, useful and highly respected citizen. 
Though not a politician, he takes great interest in 
public affairs, and at the time of the election of 
the more important officers of the State and na- 
tional Legislatures, his influence is regarded as 
valuable. 



324 THE CHRISTIAK CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

John Payne, of Clinton, is an intelligent and 
successful business man, and lias been honored by 
his fellow citizens by being twice elected sheriff of 
the county, and has perhaps held other offices of 
trust. He is a faithful member of the church in 
which his father was a minister. The third son 
while yet a lad was accidentally killed by a run- 
away team which he was driving. The mother 
has also joined her dear husband in the better 
land. 

The daughters are Mrs. Bland, of Clinton, wife 
of Dr. Bland, a skillful physician and surgeon, a 
successful farmer. He was honored a few years 
ago, by his fellow citizens, with the office of State 
senator, and acquitted himself satisfactorily to his 
constitutents. 

Mrs. Jennie Duvall, the wife of a most worthy 
citizen of Ray county, is a devoted mother and a 
faithful wife. 

Misses M. Lucilla and Mary, who reside in Kan- 
sas City, take a very active interest in every 
good work, especially in the missionary work, in 
which the church is engaged. Miss Lu, is corres- 
ponding secretary of "The Christian Woman's 
Board of Missions " for the State of Missouri. She 
is highly esteemed at home and abroad for her 
fidelity and efficiency in the great and necessary 
work in which she engaged. 




n 






Co_.i^^ 






HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 325 

CHAPTER XYII. 

MOSES E. LARD. 

Although this distinguished man and eloquent 
advocate of New Testament Christianity grew up, 
at least in part, in Clinton, he is always asso- 
ciated with the churches in Clay county and es- 
pecially with the church at Liberty. It was here 
that he resided longer than at any other point, 
and it was while here that he made his great rep- 
utation as a writer and preacher. It was while he 
was preaching for the church at Liberty that he 
wrote and published that remarkable book, " A 
Review ' of Jeter on Campbellism." He was 
already recognized as the greatest preacher of 
the church in Missouri, and this book established 
his reputation as a trenchant and powerful writer. 
This sketch is therefore introduced here because 
the name and memory of M. E. Lard is indisso- 
lubly associated with Clay county, Missouri. The 
following brief biographical sketch is taken from 
the Living Pulpit, edited by Elder "W. T. Moore, 
now of London, England. " If it be true, that just 
as the twig is bent, the tree's inclined, then if the 
author of a ^'Review of Campbellism Examined" 
did not grow up into a crooked tree, he certainly 
deserves great credit for overcoming his inclina- 
tions. But his life is a fine illustration of the 



326 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

wonderful workings of Providence as '' from seem- 
ing evil lie is still educing good." Moses E. Lard 
was born in Bedford county, Tennessee, October 
29th, 1818. His parents were Scotch, and migra- 
ted to Missouri when the son was about fourteen 
years of age. His father was a man of " quick, 
strong sense; tall and straight as an Indian, with 
a flashing eye and black hair : of manly bearing, 
candid, frank and generous to a fault; he loved 
his friend with an intense love, and hated his 
enemy with an intense hate ; a man of great cour- 
age, quick temper, but cool and self-possessed." 
He was always very poor, and though respecting 
religion in others, never became religious himself. 
The mother was a deeply pious woman, a strict 
member of the Baptist church, and thoroughly 
devoted to the moral training of her children. 
Soon after settling in Missouri, the father died of 
small pox, leaving the widow and six children 
without any means of support. It was not long 
before the family was compelled to separate. The 
parting scene with his mother is thus described by 
the subject of this sketch: "As my brother and 
myself stood beneath the little cabin eaves, just 
ready to take leave of the only objects on earth 
dear to us, and thus close the saddest scene of 
our lives my mother said : 'My dear boys, I have 
nothing to give you but my blessing and these 
two little books.' Her soul was breaking, and 
ishe could say no more. She then drew from her 



HISTOEICAL ANB BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 327 

"bosom, two small testaments, and as her tears 
were streaming, and lips quivering, she screamed 
as if it were her last, and placed them in our 
hands. We all said 'good-bye ' and that family 
was forever broken on earth. Yet, gentle reader, 
think us not poor, as we turned from that mean 
abode. We bore with us a Christian mother's 
blessing, and the precious words of Jesus ; we were 
wealthy boys. To that little book and the mem- 
ory of that scene, my future life owes its shaping. 
I never neglected the one, thank heaven, nor for 
got the other." At seventeen years of age he was 
not able to write his own name, but finally learned 
to write by tearing down the advertisements stuck 
up around the village, and using them for copy. 
From about this time till he was twenty-three, he 
lived a hard life and time dragged heavily on. He 
was deeply religious in feeling, though not so in 
life, for he did not know exactly how to be so. He 
heard the various religious parties preach, but 
could not understand them. Finally, he was 
driven to infidelity. But after struggling a while 
with its unsatisfactory conclusions, he heard one 
of the disciples preach the primitive gospel. He 
was at once captivated by its simplicity and 
beauty, and before the meeting closed he was a 
Christian. He was twenty-three years of age 
when he was immersed, and the next year he held 
his "first meeting" an interesting account of 
which is given in No. 2, Yol. 1st of the Quarterly. 



328 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

On the 4tli of March, of 1845, he entered Bethany 
College. He had then a wife and two children. 
Under great pecuniary embarassment, he went 
through college, and graduated with distinguished 
honors, making the valedictory address. He then 
returned to Missouri, and entered actively and 
successfully upon the work of preaching the gos- 
pel ; most of his labors being in the evangelical 
field. In 1857 he published his " Review of Camp- 
bellism Examined," a work which when consid- 
ered with reference to its design, simply leaves 
nothing more to be said. In 1859, he made a suc- 
cessful preaching tour through Kentucky, and 
returning home had, in 1860, a debate of several 
days, with a distinguished Methodist Presiding 
Elder, by the name of Caples. In 1863 he re- 
moved to Kentucky and began the publication of 
the Quarterly, an able periodical which he still 
edits. Brother Lard is about six feet three inches 
high, has a large bony frame, dark hair, small, 
piercing eyes, and a mouth that indicates decision 
and great firmness. He has a strong analytical 
mind, is a close and vigorous thinker, and stands 
in the front rank of the disciples, as a writer and 
speaker. Though an extemporaneous speaker, 
his style is much the same when speaking as writ- 
ing. Every sentence is uttered with a correctness 
and a precision to which nothing but dilligent, 
laborious preparation could attain. He is emphat- 
ically a student, not that he reads so many books, 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 329 

but that he completely masters what he under- 
takes. His preaching is characterized by more 
heart-power, than is generally supposed by those 
who have formed their judgment of him from his 
writings. His whole nature is in deep sympathy 
with all kinds of suffering, and when thoroughly 
aroused in the pulpit, he not unfrequently carries 
his audience before an irresistible tide of the most 
impassioned eloquence." 

The foregoing sketch, was written while brother 
Lard was living in Kentucky, and in his very 
prime. No man in the State was regarded as his 
equal in the pulpit. During the war, in order to 
enjoy that quiet which was necessary to prosecute 
his studies and to continue his literary labor, he 
removed with his family to Canada, where he 
sj)ent a year or more. While there he preached 
with great acceptance and considerable success, to 
the few churches of the Disciples in the Dominion. 
At the close of the war, he returned to Kentucky, 
and settled in Lexington, where he continued his 
literary labors, and preached extensively through- 
out the State. He was for a time the pastor of the 
Main Street church, and was also at one time of- 
fered a position in Kentucky University, which he 
at first accepted, but afterwards declined. While 
in Lexington, he prepared and published a " Com- 
mentary on Romans." He expended on this work 
a vast amount of labor, and it is in some respects 
a book of rare merit. 



330 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

Wlieu brother Lard returned to Missouri from 
Eetliany College, he located at Independence, in 
Jackson county, and improved what has been 
known, for many years, *as the Dr. Waldo place. 
It is situated in a beautiful walnut grove, about 
one-half mile northwest of the court house. It is 
not known how long he resided there. While 
there, he preached for the Independence church a 
part of the time, and travelled extensively over the 
State, engaged in protracted meetings. During his 
residence here, he made his first visit to Howard 
and Boone counties. In the diary of Elder Thomas 
M. Allen, the meeting he held both at Fayette and 
Columbia are mentioned. 

From Independence he removed to Liberty 
where he resided for quite a number of years, and 
which he always regarded as his Missouri home. 
It was here he lived when a boy. He he was bap- 
tized by that "brilliant and unfortunate man" 
Jerry P. Lancaster ; here his children were born, 
and when he began to grow old, he turned his foot- 
steps towards Liberty, as the place where his hap- 
piest hours were spent. From Liberty, he remov- 
ed to Camden Point, where he lived, preached, 
and was president of the Female College, for a 
time. He succeeded Professor H. B. Todd, who 
founded the school, and erected the building in 
which brother Lard taught, and which is now oc- 
cupied by the Missouri Female Orphan School. Of 
course the great preacher, who had become accus- 



HISTORICAL a:;D UlO^lLlPillCAL SKETCHES. 331 

tomed to mingle constantly with his brethren, and 
preach to great multitudes, could not long content 
himself in the schoolroom. 

From Camden Point, he removed to St. Joseph, 
and improved the property, about one and a half 
miles east of the city, which is now, the property 
of Governor Woodson. He preached for the church 
in St. Joseph, for several years, and travelled 
extensively over the northwest, and indeed over 
the entire State, holding meetings until the trou- 
blesome times of the war, compelled him to seek 
another field, and, as we have already seen, he 
removed to Kentucky. In the fall of 1880, while 
on a visit to his son in St. Louis, he preached for 
the church, on 17th and Olive streets, a masterly 
sermon on the Millennium. During this visit, he 
told me he was anxious to effect an arrangement, 
by which he could return to Missouri, and spend 
the remainder of his days. He did visit several 
points, and held a meeting at Liberty, in which 
many of his old friends, prominent citizens, obey- 
ed the gospel. He returned to Kentucky with a 
view of selling his beautiful home at Lexington, 
and returning to the State, but alas, already he 
was sick, and death had marked him for his own. 
He was stricken down with cancer of the stomach, 
and after a lingering and painful illness, he fell 
asleep in Jesus. His children brought his remains 
to his beloved Missouri, and deposited them at St. 
Joseph in the beautiful Mount Mora cemetery. 



332 THE christia:n- church ii^ Missouri. 

where so manj of his friends had already pre- 
ceded him. His beloved wife, his Mary, soon fol- 
lowed him, and her dust sleeps beside his, await- 
ing the voice of him who has said : " The hour is 
coming when all that are in their graves shall 
hear His voice, and they that hear shall live." 
Brother Lard left a large family of children. His 
sons are Seldon, William, Woodson and Allen, 
all now residing in Missouri. His daughters are 
Mrs. Lizzie Shannon, wife of Doctcr R. D, Shan- 
non, superintendent of Public Instruction for the 
State of Missouri ; Mrs. Jennie Woodson^ wife of 
Ex-Governor Woodson ; Mrs. Emma Longan, wife 
of Professor G. B. Longan of Kansas City ; Mrs. 
Maggie Judah, wife of Dr. Jud ah of North Middle- 
ton, Kentucky ; and Mrs. Annie Lincoln, wife of 
Mr. James Lincoln of St. Joseph, Missouri. 

I knew brother Lard well and loved him much. 
He held protracted meetings time and again for 
every church of which I have been pastor. When 
I was quite a youth, he came at my invitation to 
Carrollton and Brunswick where I was then 
preaching. When we met at Carrollton I had just 
married, and brought home my young wife. When 
he greeted her he said: "Well, sister Haley, 
every preacher needs a good wife, but no good 
woman ought to marry a preacher. Her hardships 
are much greater than his." He said this with 
much feeling, and all who knew him, will remem- 
ber that he never complained of any privation or 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 333 

hardship on liis own account, but always on ac- 
count of his dear wife and cliildren. 

While our meeting was in progress, in Bruns- 
wick, a young Presbyterian preacher took a seat 
directly in front of him, and at a certain point in 
his discourse, while he was bearing down pretty 
heavily on some doctrine of that church, the 
young man was engaged in paring his finger-nails, 
with a sneer on his face. Brother Lard discovered 
him, and noticed his attitude and expression. He 
paused and fixing his piercing eyes upon him, 
said in his inimitable way : " Sir, I have long since 
learned the precise value of the jeering finger of 
scorn and the pouting lip of a fool, " and then pro- 
ceeded with the discourse as if nothing unplea- 
sant had occurred. The young minister was com- 
pletely crushed. A sensitive brother in the congre- 
gation, gently remonstrated with him in regard to 
his severity, saying, " My brother, don't you know 
that you can catch more flies with honey than you 
can with vinegar?" To which he replied, " Cer- 
tainly, my brother, and when I undertake to catch 
flies I will try your prescription ; but I am now 
trying to catch men." It was very common in an 
early day to give the audience opportunity to ask 
any question which they might desire answered 
and sometimes when such permission has not been 
given, the speaker would be interrupted with a 
question. On one occasion brother Lard was mak- 
ing an argument on the design of baptism ; when 



334 THE CHRISTIAN CHUSCH IN MISSOUEI. 

about reaching Ms conclusion that "baptism to 
the penitent believer is for the remission of sins," 
a gentleman interrupted him with the question; 
"Mr. Lard, do you mean to teach that all men that 
are not baptized will go to hell?" To which he 
immediately replied: ''No sir; no sir; but I do 
mean to teach, that if you are not baptized you 
will go to hell, because you know it to be your 
duty, and if -you do not do what you know to be 
your duty, you will be lost." The man was sil- 
enced. On another occasion while preaching on 
the same subject, a man arose and said: "Mr. 
Lard, if you were on the plains, a thousand miles 
from water, and a man dying should send for you, 
and you should convince him of his sins, and he 
should believe on the Lord Jesus and be willing to 
confess him, and you knew that in all probability 
he would die before you could find water to bap- 
tize him, what would you do ?" In an instant he 
replied : "Sir, I would start for the water, and if 
the man should die, he would die on his way to 
obedience." 

While he was residing in Liberty, there was a 
gentleman in the town, who claimed to be a Uni- 
versalist, and argued that all men would be made 
holy and happy in death. This gentleman was 
fond of arguing the question, especially with the 
young men of the town and the young members of 
the church. He claimed to be quite a scholar. Mr. 
Lard watched his opportunity. One day he met him 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 335 

in a crowd of young men, when he said to him : 
"Mr. P., do you read Greek?" "I do," said he. 
" Is there then, any word in the Greek New Testa- 
ment, which, when applied to the dead means 
duration without end?" He promptly said " there 
is no such word." "Then," said brother Lard, 
"Universalism is false, because it declares that the 
Bible teaches that all men shall have eternal life.'^ 
Mr. P. thought for a moment, and then said:^ 
"there is a word which does mean/ duration with- 
out end,' it is ' aionios."' ''Then," said brother 
Lard, " the same word which is applied to the life 
of the righteous is applied to the punishment of 
the wicked. These shall go away into " aionios " 
punishment, but the righteous into" aionios " life. 
The punishment of the wicked is, therefore, to last 
just as long as the life of the righteous." There 
was no further discussion of the subject. I can- 
not close this sketch without referring to the 
injustice which was done brother Lard, in his last 
years, by his inquiry into this subject. 

Many persons insist that in the article which he 
wrote on the question : "Is future punishment end- 
able " he repudiated the teachings of his whole 
life and affirmed that future punishment would not 
be eternal. It ought to suffice with every fair 
minded man, to say that brother Lard denied that 
any such conclusion was inferable from what he 
said on the subject. 

He is gone to his reward, and it will be long,. 



336 THE CHRISTIA]^ CHURCH IX MISSOURI. 

in the judgment of the writer, before we see his 
like again. Rest, my dear brother. Multitudes 
will rejoice to meet and greet you, on the great 
day. 

RICHARD C. MORTOi^. 

The subject of this sketch was born in Ken- 
tucky, and belonged to that family in which were 
so many eminent preachers of the gospel. 'No one 
has resided in Kentucky, or mingled with disci- 
ples from Kentucky, in other States, who has not 
heard of Elder William Morton, one of the pion- 
eers of the current reformation in that State. 
Richard C. was his nephew. He came with his 
mother and family to this State while yet a youth. 
He was, while yet young, a school teacher, but be- 
ing a zealous Christian, and anxious to accom- 
plish all the good for the Master and humanity 
possible, he entered the ministry and became 
quite an active and popular minister of the gospel. 
He resided for a number of j^ears on a small farm 
in Clay county, and served the churches in the 
vicinity, by preaching to them on Lord's days. 
He was one of the early preachers at Missouri 
City, then called Richfield, also at South Point, 
and Camden in Ray county. He also preached at 
Antioch in Clay county, where he married his sec- 
ond wife. During the war, he returned to Ken- 
tucky, and preached at various points, but at the 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 337 

close of the strife, he returned to Missouri, and 
again settled in Clay county, where he spent the 
remainder of his days, dying some years ago. 

Brother Morton was a man of moderate educa- 
tion and fair speaking ability. He was of good 
address, and cordial in his manner, made friends 
easily, and attached them to him warmly. 

Of his labors in the ministry, it may be said, 
that from the beginning up to the commencement 
of the war, he was fairly successful. After his 
return, and up to the time of his death, on account 
of circumstances, not necessary to mention here, 
he was not much in demand as a preacher, and 
passed away a sad and discouraged man. Let us 
hope that he found that mercy and forgiveness in 
heaven which was denied him on earth. Of his 
family I have little information. One daughter 
married David Chestnut, of Platte county, but 
lived only a short time after her marriage. Of his 
other children I have no knowledge. 

22 



338 THE CHEISTIAIT CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

CHAPTER XVni. 

JERRY P. LANCASTER. 

Of the ministers who labored in an early day in 
Clay county, no one is more frequently mentioned 
than Jerry P. Lancaster, who immersed Moses E. 
Lard, and to whom General A. W. Doniphan re- 
fers in his letter. 

This distinguished preacher was from Kentucky 
and in an early day, was a Methodist preacher. 
He came into the Christian church, it is thought, 
in Anderson county, Kentucky, and perhaps at 
Lawrenceburg. He came to Missouri in an early 
day, and is mentioned in the journal of Elder T. 
M. Allen, as early as the year 1840. While a res- 
ident of Missouri, his home was in the eastern 
part of the State, perhaps in Pike county. He lab- 
ored with others, in Monroe, Marion and Ralls, in 
Boone, Howard and Calloway, and made an occas- 
ional visit to the upper counties of the State, 
preaching in Lexington, Independence, Richmond, 
Liberty and Salem, in Platte county. In all these 
places he is remembered as an eloquent preacher 
of the gospel. He was remarkably successful in 
revival efforts and baptized great numbers. 

It is recorded that he, at one time held a debate 
with a Methodist minister, in Fayette, Missouri, 
the Rev. Ben Johnson. The baptismal question 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 339 

was of course disputed. I have often heard it 
related that during the discussisn the Rev. Mr: 
Johnson undertook to depreciate the ability of 
Alexander Campbell. In reply, Mr. Lancaster 
said: "Mr. Moderator, if one of Alexander Camp- 
bell's ideas should happen to get into my friend's 
head, it would burst like a bomb-shell." 

In the year 1849, this brilliant man began to 
give evidence that he had fallen away froin his 
faith in Christ. It was rumored that he was indi- 
rectly teaching the doctrine of Universalism. He 
emigrated with that great throng, in that year, to 
the gold fields of California. Evil reports came 
back concerning his conduct on the way, and 
while in that far off land he made complete ship- 
wreck of his faith, and was known as a very bad 
man. Some years later he returned to Missouri. 
On his way home he was taken severely sick at 
Panama, and was prostrate for many months. But 
for the kindness of his Masonic brethren, he 
would have died of utter want and neglect, but 
they kindly cared for him, during his illness, and 
helped him on his way home. He reached home 
utterly broken in health, and profoundly penitent 
for all his sins. He began at once to attend the 
meetings of the church, perhaps in New London, 
Ralls county. On one occasion brother T. M. Al- 
len, who had known him well, when he was a 
worthy minister of the gospel, was holding a meet- 
ing there. He attended the meeting. At the close 



340 THE CHEISTIAN CHUKCH IN MISSOUKI. 

of one of the services, lie approached brother Al- 
len, and asked an interview. This kind-hearted 
man in the sternest manner, said to him : " Jerry, 
I have heard that you have denied the blessed 
Lord who redeemed you, and whom you once 
preached, and that you are an infidel, and if this 
is true, I want nothing to do with you." The fal- 
len preacher burst into tears, and said: "I have 
indeed done wickedly, but my faith is as strong 
as it ever was. I must talk with you." The in- 
terview was granted, and just what occurred be- 
tween those two men, who had once been yoke-fel- 
lows in the labors of the gospel, will never per- 
haps be known. The result was, that before the 
meeting closed, he asked the church to allow him 
to make a statement. He said: ''Brethren, you 
have heard much about my wicked conduct, per- 
haps much that is untrue, but perhaps the worst, 
you have heard, is not as bad as I have really 
done. I have been a great sinner, but God has 
led me through a long and sore affliction to see the 
enormity of my sins. I do not make this confes- 
sion nor this statement with the hope of being re- 
instated in the church of which I was once an hon- 
ored member, in which I was a preacher, and 
which I still love, but I have made it because I 
could not be happy without making it. I have 
asked God to forgive me. I hope he has done so. I 
do not ask you to forgive me now, but I do ask 
that you will keep watch over me, and if by the 



HISTOEICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 341 

help of God I can so live as to regain your confi- 
dence, then forgive me. I do not ask to be taken 
back into the church now, perhaps it will never be 
best to do that, but I do want to linger about the 
courts of the Lord, that I maj have your prayers 
and watchful care." The effect of such a speech 
can readily be imagined. Good men and women 
wept for him, and freely promised all he had ask- 
ed. It was not long till he was restored to the fel- 
lowship of the church in which he died, but never 
afterwards exercised the functions of his sacred 
office. The evening of his life was spent in the 
practice of law. Of his last hours I cannot speak, 
but let us hope that in the end, he was enabled to 
say : "Saved by the grace of God. Not by works 
of righteousness that I have done, but by His 
mercy He saved me. 

Of his family I have no information. Whether 
he left children or not I am not advised. He im- 
mersed M. E. Lard, who, to the day of his death 
spoke of him in terms of tenderness. 



342 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH I:N- MISSOURI. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

The church in Liberty, Clay county, was plant- 
ed "by Elder A. H. P. Payne, and from the very 
commencement was composed of the very best 
men and women of the community. Among the 
early members I recall the names of Mason Sum- 
mers and wife, Captain James Morris and his 
family, Alfred Riley and family, brother Wil- 
liam Berry and family. Dr. William Merton and 
family, Major Lightburn and family. General A. 
W. Doniphan and family, the Kellar brothers, 
Matt and John, and the Lincolns. They have en- 
joyed the ministerial labors of many of the most 
distinguished preachers of the church. Elders A. 
H. F. Payne, M. E. Lard, W. J. Pettigrew, A. B. 
Jones, Francis R. Palmer, J. W. Waller and Gr. 
W. Longan have served them as pastors. At in- 
tervals they have been visited by Allen Wright, 
J. P. Lancaster, Thomas M. Allen, James Shan- 
non, D. P. Henderson, Jacob Creath, O. C. 
Steele, Dr. W. D. Jourdan, David S. Burnet and 
a host of others whose names are not now re- 
called. The church has from the very beginning 
held rank among the very first churches in the 
State. 

They have repeatedly entertained the State 
Meeting, they contributed liberally to the endow- 
ment of Bethany College, to the new Female Or- 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 343 

many years, a flourishing female school. They 
have been quite forward in the support of our 
missions, home and foreign. Although the Pres- 
byterians had for many years a flourishing 
female school, and the Baptist State College is lo- 
cated there, the Christian Church has through all 
the years maintained its prominence, if not its 
pre-eminence. In the fall of 1857, Elder A. B. 
Jones became the pastor of the church there, and 
though he had been absent through several years 
engaged in other fields of labor. Liberty has been 
his home, and he has been the preacher of the 
church for the greater part of the time since. To 
his pre-eminent ability as a preacher, his spotless 
reputation as a Christian man, and his practical 
wisdom in the management of its affairs, is the 
church largely indebted for its prominence and 
success. A. B. Jones and Alexander Procter have 
held the longest pastorates of any of the preach- 
ers in the State. The church is at present under 
the pastoral care of the accomplished John A. 
Dearborn, and brother Jones is enjoying a much 
needed rest from pastoral labor. 

Gilead Cliurch. This church was also organ- 
ized in an early day by the same indefatigable 
minister. Elder Payne. He removed to the neigh- 
borhood of Gilead, and he and his neighbors 
formed the church at Mount Gilead. Elder Alfred 
Riley and his wife, Thomas M. Gosney and wife, 
William Riley and wife, David Bivens and wife, 



344' THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH ITT MISSOURI. 

phan Scliobl and tliey have supported through 
Mrs. Burgess, Sopers, Tapp, George Smith and 
family, O. Harris, Emmons Johnson, the Wilker- 
sons, Youngs, Dales, (Redding and Weekley,) are 
remembered as the early members of the church 
at Gfilead. From the very organization the 
church was taught to keep the ordinances, wheth- 
er they had regular preaching or not. It was 
very often said by those who were familiar with 
the Mount Gilead church, that they had demon- 
strated the fact that a church could live and pros- 
per without a pastor and regular preaching, but 
when the truth became really known, it was as- 
certained that Alfred M. Riley was one of the 
best pastors in the State. He was a man of lib- 
eral education, thoroughly acquainted with the 
holy Scriptures,. an impressive speaker, and with- 
al a man of rare discrimination and good judg- 
ment, and while he was always ably supported by 
his associates in office, it is no disparagement to 
any of them to say that the success of the church 
in the conversion of sinners and the building up 
of the saints was largely due to the presence and 
labors of Alfred M. Riley. 

The church has always enjoyed a large mem- 
bership, and especially before the church at 
Kearney was organized. They have been liberal 
in the support of their preachers. They gave 
largely to the endowment of the Missouri Chair 
in Bethany College, also to the Orphan School. 



HISTORICAL A;N^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 345 

From the organization of our missionary move- 
ment in Missouri to date, they have been regular 
in its support. Elder John T. Riley, a graduate 
of Bethany College, and one of our most efficient 
teachers and preachers, grew up in the congrega- 
gation at Gilead. 

The CTiurch at Kearney is composed very 
largely of persons who were at one time members 
of the church at Gilead, and of course being edu- 
cated by the wise men who presided there, the 
church has been quite successful. The church at 
Gilead has enjoyed the labor of all or nearly all 
the ministers who have labored at Liberty, be- 
sides they have had many protracted meetings 
held by ministers from various parts of the State. 
Gilead was a favorite church with that prince of 
evangelists. Elder Joseph J. Wyatt. Whenever 
he was called to Gilead to hold a protracted 
meeting, he was supremely happy, because he 
knew he would have a "good time " and a glori- 
eus meeting. He never tired speaking the 
praises of the good brethren there. They were 
always in his heart. Elders Waller and Aker, 
who had held so many successful meetings in that 
part of Missouri, have also often labored at 
Gilead. 

Smithmlle CliurcJi. This is one of the oldest 
congregations in the county, was planted prob- 
ably by Elder Payne. While it has never been 
regarded as so efficient and successful as the 



346 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IK MISSOURI. 

churches mentioned, it has been the scene of some 
of the greatest meetings ever held among us. 
Elders Josiah W. Waller and William Henry 
Robinson held a great meeting there in an early 
day . A recent meeting resulted in the conversion 
of more than one hundred, including every citizen 
of the village who was not already a member of 
some church. This meeting was held by Br. A. 
M. Collins of Cameron, Missouri. Elder Bayard 
Waller has long been a resident of that commun- 
ity, and for many years it was the home of Elder 
Preston Aker. At this writing it is one of the 
largest congregations in Clay county. Many of 
its members reside in Platte county. 

Gosneymlle Church. This congregation was 
organized in an early day, but by whom the 
author is not informed. It is not so prominent as 
other congregations in the county, but a great 
number of people have at different times been 
brought into the church there. Brothers Waller, 
Aker and Robinson, have labored there and held 
successful meetings. 

Barry Church. This congregation is one of the 
oldest in the county. It has had the labors of 
some of our best preachers, and has for many 
years been one of the largest congregations in the 
county. It has kept the ordinances faithfully, 
has maintained regular preaching, and has had 
many protracted meetings. It was at one time, 
and perhaps for many years, the home of Elder 



HISTORICAL AT^^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 3^47 

John Callarman, one of the pioneer preachers of 
the reformatory movement. In later years Elder 
G. R. Hand, Professor E. A. Higgason, William 
C. Rogers, Brother J. A. Lord and others served 
them. Among the early members were Judge 
Chevis and family, brothers Wilson, Parish, Cox, 
Hams, Simmons, Dr. Long and family. The con- 
gregation has been in active co-operation with the 
churches in the Mission work from its inception. 

AntiocTi Church. This is one of the oldest con- 
gregations in Clay county. To this church Elder 
R. C. Morton devoted much time in the early years 
of his ministry. It has been from the beginning 
composed of the very best people of the commun- 
ity. The Campbells, Evans, Recketts, Bullocks, 
Williams, Berrys, with their families have been 
active and zealous members there. They have a 
good meeting house very nicely furnished and fit- 
ted. In later years brothers W. C. Rogers, Pro- 
fessor Higgason, and W. S. Trader have preached 
for them. They have been active friends and sup- 
porters of our Mission work from the beginning, 
and never fail to contribute to its support. 

Missouri City. This is also one of the oldest 
congregations in the county. In an early day. 
Elder R. C. Morton, Moses E. Lard, A. H. F. 
Payne and others did much preaching there and 
held many successful meetings. The village is 
small and the congregation has never been large 
but what they have lacked in numbers they have 



848 THE CHKISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOUEI. 

made up in character. John Kellar, Daniel Bell, 
W. H. Winfrey and J. W. Donaghe, and such men 
would give any congregation prominence. E. D. 
Bell was for many years an Elder of the congrega- 
tion there y' and " like priest, like people '' being 
an admitted axiom, may account for the fact that 
the Missouri City church is one of the very best in 
the county. They have maintained regular 
preaching, have had many protracted meetings, 
and have aided in all our public enterprises. 
From the commencement of our co-operative mis- 
sion work, to this date, Missouri City church has 
never failed to send a regular contribution to its 
funds. It has an intelligent and efficient member- 
ship. Walnut Grove and Mineville churches have 
been organized more recently and of their history 
I am not informed. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 349 

CHAPTER XX. 

CLES^TOTT COUIS-TY. 

The first churcli organized in Clinton was prob- 
ably what was known for many years as Log 
Chnrch. It was planted by that hardy, rngged 
pioneer, Elder Samnel S. Trice. It was composed 
of sturdy farmers and their families, and from its 
organization kept the ordinances, and for the most 
part maintained regular preaching. Elder Trice 
was for many years their preacher, though 
they were visited from time to time by the various 
ministers who labored in that section of the coun- 
try. I remember an incident related to me as 
early as 1857. There was a great meeting in pro- 
gress under the preaching of Elder Trice. Some 
one expressed surprise at such great results, when 
the reply was made, '' It is not so much the result 
of Uncle Sam's preaching ; nncle Mason Summers 
is singing them in." Mason Summers was a host 
in a protracted meeting in Clinton county in an 
early day. Log Church in more recent years had 
the services of Dr. William D. Jourdan, G. R. 
Hand, J. J. Wyatt and W. C. Rogers. A new 
house has been built and the congregation contin- 
ues to be one of the best in the county. 

Hainesxille Church was probably next in 
order. Elder Mason Summers had moved into 



'350 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH Ilf MISSOURI. 

that vicinity from Clay county. He owned a farm, 
and a mill. The people were accustomed to come 
for miles to Ms mill to have their bread-stuffs 
ground. This brought Elder Summers in contact 
with nearly all the people of his section. While 
he " milled their grain " to feed their bodies he 
did not forget their hungry souls, and in his own 
peculiar way broke to them the bread of life. A 
congregation was soon gathered and preaching 
was secured. It was here that Moses E. Lard held 
his "first meeting" which is so graphically 
described in " Lard's Quarterly." 

From the organization of the church they met 
together regularly on the Lord's day to break 
bread, and in the absence of regular preaching 
Elder Summers would " speak to the people." 
Many confessed the Savior at these meetings and 
were baptized by him. They soon built a large 
frame meeting-house and the largest congregations 
in the county convened there whenever they had 
preaching. M. E. Lard, A. H. F. Payne, John T. 
Hudson, John C. Howell and others preached for 
them. In later years Elders T. M. Allen, Joel 
Haden, Allen Wright, and F. R. Palmer visited 
them and preached for them. Later still T. F. 
Campbell, J. W. Waller, G. R. Hand, H. H. Haley 
and the writer. Elder J. J. Wyatt and W. C. 
Rogers and many others held meetings there. 
Elder Jacob Creath also made them a number of 
visits. When Elder A. Campbell was in Missouri 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 351 

in the year 1852 he tarried over night in Haines- 
ville and preached for them, a circumstance which 
the old members always recalled with very great 
pleasure. 

For several years prior to the war Elder Sum- 
mers was a merchant in Hainesville, and his pres- 
ence was so inspiring, that the church not only 
prospered hut lived in almost a constant revival. 
The writer held three meetings there in three 
consecutive years, 1857, '58, '59, at which there 
was an agregate of one hundred and twenty-five 
additions. About this time new congregations 
began to build up in the surrounding territory, 
and the congregation at Hainesville was greatly 
depleted. The war came. Mason Summers left 
his home and went south, the church fell into 
confusion and was scattered, and has never been 
since what it was before. 

The church at Hainesville in its palmy days 
was forward in every good work. The building of 
a railroad a few miles away, in a measure 
destroyed the business of the village, and the 
church is now not strong but still maintains the 
worship. 

Piatt shurg Church. This congregation was 
was planted about the same time with that of 
Hainesville, and by the same minister. Wlien I 
first knew of them in 1857, they had no house of 
worship, but met in the court house. They, how- 
ever, secured regular preaching, and it was not 



352 THE CHRISTIAl^ CHURCH IX MISSOURI. 

long till they were strong enough to erect an 
excellent brick meeting house, which they still 
occupy, thougli it has been renovated and 
greatly improved. Of the early preachers there 
were Samuel S. Trice, Payne, Lard, Jourdan, 
Wyatt and others. Tliey held many protracted 
meetings and great numbers obeyed the gospel 
there. Among tlie first members there were the 
Eiggerstaff brothers and their families, the 
Youngs, the Clays, Hockaday, Porter and Paynes. 
They also maintained the worship whether they 
had preaching or not. They have had in later 
years the services of Elders E-ice, Kogers, Wyatt, 
C. B. Edgar, G. W. Longan and J. W. Perkins at 
present. J. "W. Ellis, a prominent teacher and suc- 
cessful speaker, is a member there and greatly 
aids them. 

The preacher's home at Plattsburg has always 
been with "uncle Jo and aunt Mary Biggerstaff.' 
It is doubtful whether or not any preacher has vis- 
ited Plattsburg in the last thirty years, who has 
not shared tlieir hospitality. The church at 
Plattsburg has entertaiued the co-operation or 
district convention a number of times and has 
always been foremost and active in missionary 
work. 

The churches at Round Prairie, Perrin, Grower, 
Fairview, Grayson and Bethany are comparatively 
new organizations. They all contain sterling men 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 3o3 

and women, and have accomplished much good in 
the name of the Lord Jesus. 

Many years ago a congregation was organized 
at Brookings schoolhouse, and one at Holt, but of 
them I have at this writing no information. The 
congregation at Cameron, was organized soon after 
the war, composed chiefly of members who had 
come from Ohih. In 1869, when I lirst knew them, 
they had about forty members, nearly all of whom 
came from Ohio. Brother James A. Meng was 
then their pastor. Elder John Encell was at one 
time the preacher of this congregation, and resi- 
ded on a farm a short distance from the city. 
Brother W. C. Rogers has also resided there and 
has served the churches in the surrounding coun- 
ties. 

Several years ago. Elder B. U. Watkins of 
Maine Prairie, Minnesota, settled there and 
preached for the congregation for some time. He 
and his talented wife, still reside there, although 
he does not preach for the church. For sometime 
past Dr. A. M. Collins has been the pastor. Under 
his ministrations the house has proved to be too 
small for the congregations that attend, and they 
have been compelled to provide a large hall, 
which they now occupy. Dr. Collins has held a 
number of successful meetings with the churches 
in that part of the State. 

Fairview church is one of the more recently or- 
;ganized churches. Elder G. W. Dawson and B. H. 

23 



354 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

Thurman have served the congregation as elders 
from its organization. They have an excellent 
frame building in a beautiful part of the county. 
The membership is not large but they have kept 
the ordinances, and maintain regular preaching. 
From the beginning they have co-operated with 
the churches generally in the mission work, and 
have aided all the enterprises of the church. 
Brother J. W. Waller at one time owned a farm 
and resided in that vicinity. He preachad for 
the congregation. Brother G. W. Longan for the 
greater part of his sojourn in Clinton preached for 
them once a month. Since then brother Perkins 
has served them. They have had quite a number 
of successful protracted meetings there. Alexan- 
der Procter, J. Z, Taylor, John H. Duncan and the 
writer have each held meetings with the church 
there. 

Of thg history of the congregations in the 
county I have no information, but from the early 
settlement of the county the churches of Christ 
have exercised a wholesome influence among the 
people. The number of members in the county is 
large and constantly increasing. 

ELDER MASON SUMMERS. 

To this godly man are the churches in Clinton 
county greatly indebted. Though not a regularly 
ordained minister of the gospel, he did much 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 355 

preaching, and greatly aided in building up the 
cause in all the region in which he lived. He was 
born and reared in Mason county, Kentucky. His 
education was such as could be obtained at the 
neighborhood schools of that early day. He was, 
in his earlier years a member of the Baptist 
church at Mayslick, in Mason county. He mar- 
ried a relative of Mrs. A. H. F. Payne, who was 
brought up in the family of her father, James 
Morriss. He came to Missouri in company with 
Elder Payne, and settled near Liberty, in Clay 
county, and was one of the charter members of 
that church. He greatly contributed to its up- 
building by his zeal and devotion. He was a 
man of excellent common sense, and fine judge of 
human nature. He was in his early years a good 
business man and acquired quite a good estate. 
He lived always not luxuriously, but comfortably. 
After living a number of years not far from 
Liberty, he moved into the northern part of the 
county, perhaps on the edge of Clinton. He there 
built a flouring mill, run his mill and conducted 
his farm. The patronage of the mill was large. 
This enabled him to form the personal acquaint- 
ance of all the citizens in that region, and while 
he prepared for them the bread which feeds the 
body, he did not forget the bread of life for these 
hungry souls. While residing on his farm and 
running his mill, he greatly assisted in building 
up the church at Gilead in Clay of which he was 



356 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

a member. Later lie sold out his farm and mill 
and moved into Hainesville, where he engaged 
with his son- in law in the mercantile business. 
Very soon a congregation was organized there and 
a large and comfortable frame church-house was 
erected. M. E. Lard who grew up in the neigh- 
borhood held his "first meeting" there, an ac- 
count of which is published iu the first volume of 
Lard's Quarterly. He often returned to the scene 
of his boyhood and early struggles, and held pro- 
tracted meetings, always assisted by Mason Sum- 
mers, than whom the distinguished preacher had 
no more devoted friend. A. H. F. Payne and 
John T. Hudson often preached there, and were 
assisted by Mason Summers. After the church 
was organized. Mason Summers was elected Elder 
and right well and faithfully did he care for the 
flock, over which he had been made an overseer. 
He secured for them regular preaching, and at his 
instance and with his assistance, protracted meet- 
ings were held every year. Elder Allen Wright, 
T. M. Allen, F. R. Palmer, T. N. Gaines and many 
others were at his instance visitors at Hainesville. 
When the war came. Mason Summers, who never 
did anything by "halves" threw himself with all 
the energy he possessed into the Southern cause 
and of course was compelled to leave home. He 
spent the years of the war at the South and re- 
turned to find the church he had loved and lab- 
ored to build up, scattered, his property and es- 



HISTOEICAL ANB BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 357 

tate squandered, and his old home greatly dilap- 
idated. 

He was an old man, too late to recover his for- 
tune, or to enter again actively into business. 
He continued to reside for a time at his old home, 
till the death of his beloved wife, when he left 
the old homestead and removed v/ith his faithful 
daughter to Lathrop where his younger son was 
in business. While residing here he gave himself 
up almost exclusively to work in protracted meet- 
ings. He did not preach when there was any one 
else to do so. He would lead in prayer and ex- 
hort sinners to obedience. But his great endow- 
ment was the gift of song. It would be utterly 
vain to attempt a description of his marvelous 
voice. It had great strength and was so versatile 
that he could lead in any part. When in his 
prime, there was no need of an instrument to lead 
the congregation when he was present. In pro- 
tracted meetings, he would gather about him the 
young people and all who could sing, and drill 
them till they were enthusiastic, and then lead 
them in song. It was like martial music in the 
«nidst of the battle. Many hundreds, yea thous- 
ands were inspired with courage by his songs to 
stand up in the great congregation and confess 
their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. After he was 
no longer in business, the churches for miles 
around would send for him to assist by song in 
protracted meetings. His voice greatly failed him 



358 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

in the last years of his life and while he wonld 
sometimes concede it in words, he sung as if he 
had no consciousness of any decline in his vocal 
powers. In the year 1885, at a ripe old age, he, 
at his home, fell asleep in Jesus. No man in the 
State, not a preacher, contributed so largely to 
build up the cause in his region as did Mason 
Summers. He rests from his labors. 

ELDER SAMUEL S. TRICE 

was born in Tenessee and reared in southern Ken- 
tucky. He came with his family to Clinton coun- 
ty at an early day. He was a man perhaps of 
five feet nine inches in height, slightly built, wiry 
and tough, weighing perhaps not more than one 
hundred and fifty pounds. He was a man of lim- 
ited education, though in his early life he was a 
country school-teacher. He became a member of 
the Christian Church in the Green E-iver country in 
Kentucky "where the sect was every where spoken 
against." He had no idea of becoming a preacher 
for some time after his conversion. On one occa- 
sion, however, a preacher, who was exceedingly 
mad against what he called Campbellism, came* 
into his neighborhood and made a most unright- 
eous attack on Mr. Campbell and what he taught. 
There being no preacher near to reply, the young 
school teacher determined to make a reply. The 
friends were so delighted, as well as surprised by 
the power which he manifested, that they per- 




^^_. <r/o^C^ 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGPwAPHICAL SKETCHES. 359 

snaded Mm to commence preaching at once, and 
believing, "that an opportunity to do good and 
the desired ability to do it, is a divine call to do 
good," he yielded to their entreaties and began at 
once to preach the gospel to his neighbors. His 
andiences were large from the very beginning, 
and in those days' of sharp controversy, he en- 
tered the lists, " asking no quarters and showing 
none.'' 

Upon his removal to Missouri, he found great 
demand for preachers and preaching. He conse- 
quently would labor on his farm during the week 
and preach the gospel to his neighbors on Lord's 
day. He built up many small chui'ches in vari- 
ous parts of the country and especially the old 
Log Church which has been mentioned in these 
sketches. For manv vears before his death, he 
was employed on his farm during the week and 
preached for the neighboring churches monthly. 
He had often said that he desired to '• wear out,'' 
not "rust out." He wanted to die with the har- 
ness on and if possible in the pulpit " telling the 
old, old story" of Jesus and his love. The Lord 
heard his prayer and granted him his request. On 
Lord's day morning he rode up to Gower, entered 
the pulpit and commenced the services when he 
was seen to totter and fall. A brother caught 
him in his arms and supported him for a moment 
when his spirit took its flight. He was dead and 
died in thQ pulpit. Brother Trice was a plain 



360 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

man witliout any of the polish that comes from 
the schools, or from association with cultured so- 
ciety, but he was an honest, God fearing man ; a 
man of remarkable mental force, and a strong 
character in every sense of the word. He left 
quite a family, all of whom are highly respected 
citizens and most of them if not all, active zeal- 
ous members of the church their father loved so 
well and for which he sacrificed so much. 

Tandy H. Trice of St. Joseph, so well known to 
all who know the St. Joseph church, is the eldest 
of the family and has inlierited many of the 
sturdy qualities of his father. The old hero rests 
in the soil of Clinton, which he loved so well. 
The following sketch is furnished by his friend 
andc o-laborer. Elder W. C. Rogers : 

" Elder Samuel S. Trice removed from Kentucky 
to Clinton county Missouri at an early day. 
There were but few Christian churches in north- 
west Missouri at that time, and these could do but 
little toward helping the preachers financially. 
Brother Trice was fortunate or perhaps unfortu- 
nate, in possessing a large and fine tract of land 
in the county of Clinton. He managed to make a 
living for his family by his farming and preached 
for nothing on Lord's day, that is without fee or 
reward. He spoke in derision of " hirelings " and 
the "hireling system," and when the churches be- 
came able to help him, to reward him for services 
rendered, he was ashamed, as he said, to " put a 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 361 

price on Ms labors," and hence was never remun- 
erated for his hard work in the vineyard of the 
Lord. Toward the close of his life, I had heard 
him declare that in speaking against paying 
preachers and in refusing financial help from the 
churches, he not only erred, but had actually 
sinned, not only against his family, but against 
the churches. He also realized that preaching* 
and farming could not be carried on successfully 
by the same person, both being neglected. The 
preacher must be a man of one purpose — must 
give himself wholly to the work in order to suc- 
ceed. He was a man of clear head and pure 
heart, and at all times under favorable circum- 
stances was ready to defend the truth. He was 
constitutionally a hero, and was physically and 
morally a brave man. It was said of John Knox 
that "he never feared the face of man." The 
same could be truthfully affirmed of S. S. Trice. 
He never allowed any one to call in question the 
purity of his intentions, nor could his most inti- 
mate friends persuade him to compromise the 
least truth, command, or principle found in the 
word of God. He clung to the One Book and was 
ever opposed to all ecclesiastical innovations. 
He was afraid of speculations, theories, creeds, 
formulas, etc., hence accepted as true the position 
of Thomas Campbell in his " Declaration and Ad- 
dress " that " Where the Bible speaks, we speak; 
where it is silent, we are silent." 



362 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

He said mucli in the pulpit, in tlie family and 
on the highway against the use of intcxicants. 
He was also violently opposed to the use of tobac- 
co. He once rebuked a young preacher (whom he 
loved) for smoking and chewing tobacco. The 
young preacher said to him after he had bitterly 
denounced the filthy habit of smoking and chew- 
ing : " Uncle Sam, will you change the subject?-' 
" No sir ; never until you quit your ways and 
set a good example." The young brother was 
deeply mortified. Next morning brother Trice 
said to him ; '' My young brother, come with me." 
They walked far out into the wilderness together. 
Finally brother Trice looking him in the eyes 
said: "My friends think I owe you an apology 
for the severe words I uttered yesterday in my 
tirade against using tobacco, and" — here the 
young preacher said: *' Well — " "Stop," cried 
brother Trice; "wait until I get through." He got 
through, begged the young man to forgive him 
and he would do so no more. He wept as a 
child; but could never be induced to think chew- 
ing or smoking right. Brother Trice loved to 
preach, loved to mingle with his brethren, loved 
to look forward to the day when all the redeemed 
shall mount to dwell in the presence of God, free 
from sin and all its fearful consequences. He 
was self-denying, did much hard work in the 
ministry, for which he was but poorly paid. He 
desired to die, as he often said, with the " harness 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 363 

on." And in this lie was gratified, for he fell 
with his "armor on" battling for the trnth, on 
the Lord's day, in the pulpit of the Bethel church 
in Clinton county, Missouri. 

ELDEK EICE. 

Among those who have labored in Clinton 
county and have passed away is this dear young 
brother. He was born in Illinois, was a brother 
of E. Y. Rice who died in Louisiana, and A. H. 
nice who died in Paris, Missouri. He had only 
fairly begun his work in Plattsburg when he was 
cut down. I have no data for a suitable notice 
of him. I only know when I have visited 
Plattsburg, I have heard the older members 
speak of him in tenderest terms and lament his 
demise as a great loss to the Christian ministry. 
I do not recall any other of the ministers who 
have fallen while at their post of duty in Clinton. 
Elder J. J. Wyatt did a vast kmount of preach- 
ing in this county with great Success, but of him 
and his labors I shall speak more particularly 
when I come to write of Buchanan county. 



364 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IX MISSOURI. 

CHAPTER XXI. 

PLATTE COUNTY. 

The first church in Platte was Bear Creek, now 
called Salem, in the northwestern part of the 
county. It was founded by James Lovelady, 
James Cox, James McBride and Elihu Randolph, 
local preachers who resided in the neighborhood. 
The first meeting-house was " a little log cabin." 
The following were among the charter members : 
James White, Polly Lovelady, Jane Lovelady, 
John Bounds, Elizabeth Bounds, Andrew Henson 
and Nancy Lovelady, (now Mrs. Newby). Broth- 
er Henson and sister Newby, the former eighty- 
six and the latter seventy-eight years of age, 
still live near Salem. They are still faithful and 
true to the great King. The others have crossed 
over to the other shore. The preachers mentioned 
were grand men in their day and brought many 
into the kingdom. ' In 1840, James Lovelady, 
James Cox and James McBride moved to Oregon. 
The Salem congregation was the first Christian 
organized in the Platte purchase. At an early 
day it was strong numerically and influential. 
More than eight hundred names are recorded as 
having once been members, but the greater part 
of these already sleep their last long sleep in the 
grave. Many are scattered through the far off 
Western states and territories forming a nucleus 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 365 

for other congregations. This congregation has 
"been blessed with good preachers and good 
preaching. The following have at different times 
visited and preached for the congregation ; Alex- 
ander Campbell, AY alter Scott, James Henshald, 
W. J. Pettigrew, B. F. Smith, W. S. Russell, 
James Shannon, David S. Burnett, D. P. Hender- 
son, S. S. Church, Dr. W. H. Hopson, T. P. Haley, 
A. B. Jones, Dr. J. W. Cox, T. M. Allen, A. H. 
F. Payne, F. R. Palmer, M. E. Lard, H. M. Bled- 
soe, P. K. Dibble, J. B. McCleerev, J. J. Wjatt, 
R. C. Morton, P. L. Hudgins, W. C. Rogers, J. T. 
Riley and many others whose names are not re 
called. The congregation has always met on the 
Lord's day and kept the ordinances. In thirty- 
seven years they have only failed to meet some 
twelve or fifteen Lord's days. 

Hackherrii Cliurch. The next congregation 
constituted in Platte county was in the "Todd 
neighborhood " between Platte City and Fort 
Leavenworth, called the Hackberry church. It 
was planted by Elder 0. C, Steele who was their 
pastor for many years. Of the early members, 
the Todd family which was a very large connec- 
tion, the Cockrills, James Burckhart and wife and 
Andrew Tribble and family. During the war the 
house was bui-ned down, many of the members 
moved away, many took membership with the 
the church in Platte City and others went back to 
the world. 



366 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH US' MISSOURI. 

Old Bethel was perhaps the next church organ- 
ized. It was located north west of JSTew Market, 
was constituted by Elder 0. C. Steele and others. 
He preached for them once a month for many 
years. Finally the old house went to decay and 
most of the members went into the organization 
at New Market. 

Weston was perhaps next organized, through 
the efforts of 0. C. Steele, assisted by that grand 
old veteran Elder T. M. Allen, who records in 
his journal several visits to Weston and several 
successful meetings. The membership has never 
at any time been large, but they have a neat and 
substantial brick house, and maintain the wor- 
ship of the Lord's house whether they have 
preaching or not. 

J. M. R alley and family, Egbert Railey and 
family. Dr. Beaumont and family, and Mrs. Doni- 
phan, mother of Col. John Doniphan of St. Joseph, 
brother and sister Wilhoit, were among the faith- 
ful disciples who worshipped there in an early 
day. Of the ministers who served them, were call 
the names of 0. C. Steele, J. R. Frame, P. K. Dib- 
ble, James A. Meng, Jacob Hugley, John T. Riley 
and the present pastor. Brother Howell. The con- 
gregation has been greatly reduced by removals 
on account of the decline of business in the town, 
but recently it has taken on new life and bids fair 
to regain its lost ground. David Thorp and J. M. 
Railey, two most faithful men, have been for years 



HISTOPwICAL AND BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 367 

the elders of the congregation. They deserve great 
credit for faithfulness in the midst of great dis- 
couragements. 

Camden Pointy was next organized. It is in the 
central northern part of the county, on the Chi- 
cago and E-ock Island railway, about twelve miles 
northeast of Leavenworth City. The congregation 
was planted at an early day, and from the very 
commencement was a prominent church in Mis- 
souri. Elder 0. C. Steele preached there in the 
first years of his ministry in the State. Quite a 
number of wealthy and influential families from 
Kentucky settled in the vicinity and constituted 
the larger part of the church. Among them were 
the Perrins, Forbes, Level, Skinner, Middletons, 
Owens, Maupins, Shortridges, Carsons and others. 

They soon erected a comfortable house and kept 
the ordinances ; meeting regularly on the Lord's 
day whether they had regular preaching or not. 
They have always had a preacher at least once a 
month, often twice, and in absence of the preacher 
the elders have conducted the services. The 
church has always maintained a character for zeal 
and liberality ; and has been forward in contribut- 
ing to aid all the enterprise of the brotherhood in 
the State. 

In early days Professor H. B. Todd, of Mount 
Sterling, Kentucky, founded a Female Academy, 
and constructed a large college building, in which 
he gathered one of the largest boarding-schoolsin 



368 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH IJ^ MISSOURI* 

the West. At one time lie had about one hun- 
dred and twenty pupils boarding in the house 
This fact alone gave the church great prominence. 
Many of the wealthier brethren of Platte county 
educated their daughters there. After the removal 
of Professor Todd, the school was continued under 
the presidency of the following brethren at differ- 
ent times : Elder M. E. Lard, T. F. Campbell, F. 
G. Gaylord and P. K. Dibble. Brother Dibble 
sold the property to the Trustees of the Female 
Orphan School, and since the year 1870, this noble 
enterprise, of the Christian brotherhood of Mis- 
souri, has been conducted there. The following 
sketch has been received since the above was writ- 
ten. 

Camden PomT, Mo., March 2, 1886. 

Dear Brother Haley : — I will try to give you the 
information desired. It will all have to be from 
memory, as we have no record for some ten or fif- 
teen years after the- church was organized. 

We banded our selves for public worship in the 
year 1842 or '43. Some twenty-five or thirty of us 
having settled in this neighborhood from Ken- 
tucky ; most of us from Lincoln county. We met 
in a schoolhouse near Camden Point. We only 
had preaching as some brother chanced to call on 
us. Brother O. C. Steele frequently preached for 
us. We did not select elders at first. Our meet- 
ings were conducted by brother A. P. Eead, J. F. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 369 

Forbes and myself. We three were afterward 
selected as the first elders with the addition of 
brother F. B. Flack. 

In 1845 or '46 we built our house and employed 
brother A. H. F. Payne to labor for us which he 
did until about the time he died. Our next pastor 
was brother M. E. Lard, who stayed with us for 
several years. When he left, we employed brother 
T. F. Campbell, who remained with us a year or 
so. Our next pastor was brother P. K. Dibble, who 
stayed some two years, and was afterwards em- 
ployed by the church as county evangelist. We 
then employed brother J. J. Watt, who remained 
with us until his death. Brothers Smith and Dunn 
were our regular preachers for two years. 
Brother J. Y. Tate filled the pulpit for two years 
assisted by Wiley Mountjoy. Our present pastor 
is brother Jermane. 

Our charter members were : brother A. P. Bead 
and lady, brother J. F. Forbes and lady, brothers 
Jas. Carson and lady, John Keller and lady. Rice 
Keller and lady, T. J. Keller and lady, M. Colyer 
and lady, A. L. Perrin and lady, and sister Evans. 
There were several others that I cannot call to 
mind. Brother Hiram Jeter and lady and E. M. 
Harrington and lady. This is all I can recollect. 
All of these are now dead except about six or 
seven. 

Most all of the pioneer preachers have preached 

for us occasionally, as they were passing through 
24 



370 THE CHRISTIAIS' CHURCH I^ MISSOURI. 

the county. Amongst the number brother A. 
Campbell, brothers T. M. Allen, Jacob Creath, 
John Smith and a host of other able preachers 
have frequently labored for us for a day or so at a 
time. The church at present numbers two hundred 
and eighty. Our present elders are B. J. Wood- 
son, T. R. Maupin, John Middleton, M. P. Owens 
and A. L. Perrin. Our deacons are W. Bradley, 
W. F. Perrin, T. J. Carson, and William Pullens, 
our treasurer, W. P. George, our clerk A. L. Per- 
rin, Jr. This is mostly from memory and I think 
is in the main correct. 

Shortly after the church was organized, brother 
B. F. Black was added to the members and contin- 
ued an elder until he left the county. 

I think this covers your queries as far as I am 
able to give them to you ; but if you wish addi- 
tional information, if you will let me know I will 
try to hunt it up for you ; please inform me if this 
will serve your purpose ? Your brother, 

A. L. Perrin. 

New Marlcet. The church at New Market, some 
five miles northwest of Camden Point, was plan- 
ted by T. F. Campbell now of Oregon, while he 
was teaching at Camden Point. He was assisted 
by elder Joseph J. Wyatt of St. Joseph, Mo. From 
very early times IN'ew Market had been the strong- 
est hold of the Methodist and Cumberland Presby- 
terians while the Christian church had but little 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 371 

footing. At the very first meeting, nearly one 
hundred additions were gained and a strong 
church established. 

Among the early members were Barton and 
Isaac Dean and their families, A. T. and Chris 
Leavel and their families, Dr. William Field and 
family, and many other of the excellent citizens of 
that community. This congregation also from the 
beginning has maintained the worship on the 
Lord's day, has had preaching at least once a 
month, and has had many successful protracted 
meetings. Among those who have labored regu- 
larly there were : T. F. Campbell, J. J. Wyatt, W, 
C. Rogers, Jacob Hugley, P. K. Dibble, G. VT, 
Longan, and J. T. R-iley. The congregation has 
been hearty in co-oj^erating with the brotherhood 
in carrying forward the enterj)rises in which they 
have from time to time engaged. Brother Isaac 
Dean and John Dooley, who still survive, and 
Archie Leavel, who has gone to his reward, were 
elders for many years. 

Platte City church was organized at an early 
day, under the labor of P. L. Hudgins of Savan- 
nah, Missouri, and Elder M. E. Lard. Of the early 
members there were the Wallers, Todds, Tribbles, 
Parks, Hartmans and Cockrills and Christie. 

The church met for a long time in the court 
house, but at length erected a neat and commo- 
dious house in which they still worship. It has 
been repaired and refitted in the last years, and is 



372 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

now one of the most "comfortable houses in tlie 
Tipper Missouri. The church has generally main- 
tained the worship on the Lord's day. They have 
for the most part had preaching once a month, but 
much of the time they have had preaching one 
half the time. The congregatien has for many 
years been one of the wealthiest in the county. 
They have been liberal and hearty in co-operation 
with their brethren for the spread of the gospel. 

Among the preachers who have served them are 
A. H. F. Payne, T. P. Haley, W. C. Williams, 
John H. Duncan. They have also had visits from 
and protracted meeting held by many of the most 
prominent men in the church — T. M. Allen, D. S. 
Burnett, Joseph J. Wyatt and many others. For 
many years Professor F. G. Gaylord has been the 
president of the college there, and has greatly 
aided in keeping alive an interest in the church. 

Second Creek church is probably older than the 
church in Platte City. It is east of Platte City on 
the Liberty road, and about ten miles distant. 
They have maintained the Lord's day worship 
from the beginning and have kept a preacher once 
a month. Of the early preachers I recall the 
names of Kemp, Woods, Berry, Lampton, Grimes, 
W aller and A. Breckenorder. It has had a great 
many protracted meetings, and great numbers have 
been baptized there. Of the preachers who have 
preached there, the following are remembered ; A. 
H. F. Payne, M. E. Lard, A. B. Jones, W. C. Rog- 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 373 

ers, Joseph J. AVyatt, B. and J. W. Waller, W. H. 
Robinson, P. K. Dibble, T. J. Williamson. The 
congregation is still large and exerts an influence 
over a large district of country. 

Hickory Grove south east of Platte City and 
Brush Creek south-east on the Hampton road are 
congregations planted later in the history of the 
cause in the county. Of their planting and sub- 
sequent history I have no information. 

Ridgely^ in the central north-eastern part of the 
county is among the elder congregations. It was 
organized before the war, and had from the begin- 
ning quite a respectable number of members. 
They have had from the beginning regular preach- 
ing and have kept the ordinances. They contrib- 
uted quite liberally to the building of the Orphan 
School and have furnished two members of the 
Board of Incorporators, namely : A. B. Masterson 
and Alexander Breckenridge now of Edgerton. 
W. H. Robinson, the Wallers, Wyatt and Rogers 
have all held meetings at Ridgely, and great num- 
bers have been turned to the Lord. Two other 
congregations have in late years been organized ; 
one on the east side near the " Gail School-house " 
and one on the west side at Edgerton, but of them 
I have no information. 

ELDER OLIVER C. STEELE, 

who resided in Platte county for nearly forty 
years, and who did more towards establishing the 



374 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IX MISSOURI. 

cause there in an early day than any other man, 
was born near Lexington, Kentucky, February 1, 
1805. He resided in Lexington after he grew up, 
some eight or ten years, and then removed to 
Richmond, Kentucky. He was, I believe, a jew- 
eler by trade. He first united with the Baptist 
church and was baptized by Dr. James Fishback. 
He was soon after his baptism ordained to the 
gospel ministry, and commenced his public lab- 
ors with that eloquent preacher Dr. Curtis J. 
Smith and Ephraim Osborn. He remained in the 
Baptist church but a short time when he em- 
braced the views then advocated by A. Campbell 
and his associates and united with the " Christian 
church." 

He travelled and preached very extensively 
over Madison, Clark, Fayette and Garrard coun- 
ties, Kentucky. He had charge for many years 
of the congregation at " White Pond " near Rich- 
mond, Kentucky. In November 1840, he moved 
from Kentucky to Missouri with his family and 
settled in Platte county near the Salem church. 
In May 1841 he took charge of the Salem congre- 
gation, where he preached regularly the first and 
third Lord's days until April, third Lord's day in 
the year 1873 ; the last of his work on earth. 
Daring his thirty-three years' residence in Platte 
county, he baptized one thousand and two hun- 
dred persons. He delivered eight hundred dis- 
courses at Salem, and married at various times 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 375 

and places six hundred and twenty seven couples. 
In April 1873 at his own splendid home, in che 
presence of his family he fell asleep in Jesus. 

Elder O. C. Steele was about five feet ten inches, 
in height and rather slightly built, though he was 
well built and a tough wiry body. He tfad 
rather light brown hair, a gray eye and rather 
fiorid complexion. He always dressed neatly and 
with faultless taste. He had a pleasant voice and 
easy graceful manners. He was exceeding affable 
and easily approached by the humblest of his ac- 
quaintances. He was exceedingly social in his 
disposition, was fond of his friends and was al- 
ways a delightful companion. His hospitality 
was generous. 'No man delighted more to enter- 
tain his friends. As he was a farmer preacher, 
and one of the most successful farmers in the 
county, his house was an elegant one and his 
table was always bountifully furnished. He was 
married four times and had children by three of 
his wives. He left a large family and his last 
wife to mourn his loss. I have received the fol- 
lowing from one who knew him well, and was 
much attached to him. 

''Elder 0. C. Steele migrated at an early day 
from Madison county, Kentucky, to Platte county, 
Missouri, where he resided until his death. He 
possessed that peculiar talent of business-common 
sense so often lacking in preachers of all denomi- 
nations. He not only well understood the gospel. 



376 THE CHEISTIAIS' CHUECH I^ MISSOURI. 

and how to preach it with clearness and power, 
"but he also knew at a glance the worth of a fine 
horse or a stalled ox or the value of a quarter sec- 
tion of land. This excellent judgment of matters 
of an earthly character, seems co be as much a 
gift as is that of genius. There are some men so 
fortunate in attending to the affairs of this life, so 
successful in every enterprise in which they 
embark, all things touched turning to money, that 
it does, in truth, seem that this power to make 
money, and to save money, is not an acquirement 
but an endowment. The preacher of the gospel 
according to Paul's admonition to Timothy must 
give himself wholly to the work; but if, in so 
doing the preacher should realize that his family 
must perish with hunger, he would find himself 
confronted with a fearful denunciation against 
such as provide not for their own households. 

The charter members of Salem church, organ- 
ized by brother Steele, were not more than able to 
open their farms and feed and clothe their famil- 
ies. How could the members of that church and 
many others in a similar condition, do more than 
encourage the preacher with their kind words and 
meager gifts ? At that period in the history of the 
Christian church in Missouri, we find many a 
preacher making a livelihood in following some 
honorable secular calling, and preaching whenever 
and wherever he could. The people were ready 
to hear, in many parts of the "far West" at that 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 377 

i^iine, and the churches of Christ gave a moral sup- 
port to those who proclaimed to them the gospel 
of Christ. The preacher rejoiced to be permitted 
to preach "the truth, and nothing but the truth,'' 
and multitudes were glad to hear. There was lit- 
tle thought or said on the subject of " paying the 
preacher." 

But for the labors and sacrifices of Elder O. C. 
Steele, and others of a like ambition, to do good, 
so far as enabled, many sections in Missouri and 
in other States, would have remained until now, in 
utter Ignorance of the plan of salvation or in the 
meshes of sectarianism. These pioneers did what 
they could. All through the week many of them 
toiled in the field to make bread, at the same time 
studying with intense interest the New Testament, 
while they sat down for a few moments under the 
shade of the tree to rest their limbs. At eleven 
o'clock on Lord's day • morning, some at home, 
others at times many miles from home, they 
engaged in the delightful task of making known 
the truth, to crowds hungering for the bread of 
life. Thus they lived and labored for Christ. 
Some were bitterly opposed by the enemies of the 
truth. Others there were who encountered but lit- 
tle opposition. Brother Steele loved the truth, and 
was ever ready at the right time and place, to 
defend it. He could not persuade himself that it 
was right to remain indiflerent in the presence of 



378 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH II^ MISSOUEI. 

those who sincerely or otherwise garbled or per- 
verted the word of God. 

On a certain occasion in his own neighborhood, 
a very zealous and fair-minded Methodist preacher 
by the name of Love, held quite an interesting 
and successful revival, so-called. At the close of 
the meeting several of the converts desired to be 
immersed instead of having water sprinkled upon 
them, but brother Love was not prepared just at 
that time to administer the divine ordinance and 
announcing that he would return on a certain Sun- 
day to deliver a discourse on the subject of bap- 
tim, he pronounced the benediction. At the ap- 
pointed time brother Love was on the ground, 
and seemed to be ready for his more than hercu- 
lean task. Adjusting his armor, he entered the 
arena in good spirits. 'Not until he had proceeded 
for a time with his work of showing that "immer- 
sion is not scriptural baptism " did he realize the 
numerous evidences in the Scriptures favoring it. 
These must all be disposed of triumphantly and 
in such a way as to satisfy the candidates for bap- 
tism that immersion was unscriptural, and sprink- 
ling and pouring valid. Many a man since and 
» before brother Love's humble effort has found it 
an "up hill" business to set aside immersion. 
Doubtless our Methodist brother's zeal out ran his 
judgment, in endeavoring to show that the Scrip- 
tures did not positively and clearly demand 
immersion. At the close of the long and labored 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 379 

discourse, brother Steele, who had been present 
from the beginning, and very watchful all the time 
asked the privilege of propounding a question cr 
two. This being readily granted, he proceeded: 
*' Brother Love, did you ever immerse anyone?" 
"Yes sir," was brother Love's response. "Did 
you do it without any scriptural authority?" he 
replied with much emphasis, and apparently by 
way of apology, "The Discipline makes it my 
duty to do so whenever the candidate demands 
it." " Does your discipline require you to do an 
unscriptural thing?" " With me, brother Love, it 
is a matter o2 faith ; that's all, that's all ;" and 
with a polite wave of the hand, brother Steele sat 
down. 

His labors are ended now, he is at rest forever. 

W. C. ROC^EES. 

Camekon, Mo., July 29th, 1884. 



380 THE CHEISTIA]^ CIIUECJI IN MI8S0UEI. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

BUCHANAN COUNTY 

is in the northwestern part of the State ; is boun- 
ded on the north Iby Andrew county, on the east 
by Clinton, south by Platte county and on the 
west by the Missouri Hiver. 

The first Christian church organized in the 
county w^as in the southern portion, in the town of 
Bloomington now called Dekalb. The first 
preacher mentioned in connection with the church 
there was Elder Zachary Linville, who removed to 
that neighborhood from Tebo Grove in Lafay- 
ette county not far from the village of Dover. The 
church there was disbanded many years ago, and 
the members scattered through the surrounding 
neighborhoods formed nuclei for three congrega- 
tions — ''Bethel," "Union," and " Sugar Creek." 

Of the ministers, besides Elder Linville, who 
labored there, little is known. Elder O. C. Steele 
Joseph J. Wyatt and Elder T. M. Allen each vis- 
ited the congregation and preached for them at 
different times. The first disciples in that part of 
the country were : Judge William Dunning and 
his wife, the father and mother of James M. Dun- 
ning, who is now preaching in northwest Missouri. 
They came from Bloomington, Indiana, and proba- 
bly named the village after the town of their 
nativity. 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 381 

Sugar Creek *Cliwrch a few miles southeast of 
the village of Rusliville, was probably next 
planted. It is a country church, and composed of 
the excellent farmers and their families of that 
vicinity. It is probable that this congregation 
was also planted by Elder Linville and O. C. 
Steele. The early members were : the Allison 
brothers from the old Dover church, in Lafayette 
county, Burgess Elliot and family, and brother 
Gardner and family, with others whose names are 
not known. They have had the labors of all the 
preachers that have lived in that section of the 
country — Elders Steele, "Wyatt, Rogers, Riley and 
Henderson, besides protracted meetings have been 
held there by many of the preachers from a dis- 
stance. Alexander Procter, John Lindsay and 
Joseph F. Davis have labored there in protracted 
meetings. Their first meeting house went to 
decay, a great number of years since, and has 
been replaced by a new one. Irvin Valley was 
not far from this church, and when meetings 
ceased to be held there, many of the members 
united with the Sugar Creek church. They still 
meet on the Lord's day, and keep the ordinances 
and have preaching once a month. 

Bethel Church is located between Dekalb and 
St. Joseph, near the old farm of Judge Dunning. 
Of this congregation he was a member, from the 
time the old Bloomingtou church disbanded till 
his death. The church was planted by Elder J. J. 



382 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH ITT MISSOURI. 

Wyatt, and he preached for them for many years 
once a month. This church has from its organiza- 
tion met together every Lord's day, thongh as a 
rule, they have preaching hut once a month. W. 
C. Eogers, J. T. Riley and others have preached 
there regularly, and also held protracted meet- 
ings in which a great many have been " turned to 
the Lord." 

Union Churchy about twelve miles southeast of 
St. Joseph, on the Toas road, was planted by 
Elder J. J. Wyatt, soon after he commenced 
preaching. He continued to preach for them, 
except at short intervals, from their organization 
up to the time of his death. Never were church 
and preacher more attached to each other than 
were they. He was their friend and confidential 
adviser in secular as well as in spiritual affairs. 
He wrote the deeds to their property, wrote their 
wills, recorded the births, marriages and deaths in 
their families ; called them by their given names, 
and knew all their children by name as well. 
From the first the congregation was composed of 
the very best citizens of the county. The Thoma- 
ses, the Calls, the Combs, the Bakers, the Mur- 
phys, the Nolands, the Clowsers, the Watsons, 
the Lowers and many others, faithful and true. 
As has been said, they met every Lord's day, and 
had preaching once a month. In August of etery 
year, they have held a protracted meeting. These 
meetings are looked forward to from year to year 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 383 

as seasons of great social enjoyment, as well as 
times of spiritual refreshing. All the more promi- 
nent preachers of the northwest have preached for 
them at these annual re-unions, and great multi- 
tudes have been gathered into the fold of Christ. 
One delightful feature of these meetings is the 
Basket-dinner. As there are always two services 
on Lord's day and the people come from great dis- 
tances, they bring baskets of provisions and 
spread it under the shade of the trees, and give 
themselves up for the "intermission" to social 
conversation and a free discussion of the sermon 
and " other good things." The church has always 
been hearty and liberal in co-operating with the 
churches in an effort to spread the gospel. From 
the organization of the mission work in the State, 
they have contributed to its funds. 

Agency Ford Qliurch^ was organized previous 
to the war, and built a large meeting house. It is 
on the line of the Wabash road, some ten miles 
east of St. Joseph. Elder J. J. TVyatt, Samuel S. 
Trice and others have preached there with very 
great success. For sometime that "godly lay- 
man," William Word, with his family were mem- 
bers of this congregation, and by his zeal and 
devotion greatly contributed to their prosperity. 
Dr. S. E;. Woodson, nephew of Gov. Woodson, has 
resided there for a number of years, and by his 
fidelity, zeal and liberality has done much to help 
forward the church. Elder S. S. Trice did some of 



384 THE CHRISTIA]^ CHURCH IN^ MISSOURI. 

Ms last work for the Master in this congregation. 
They have generally supported preaching once a 
month. 

St. Joseph Church. The first meeting of the 
members of the Christian church ever held in St. 
Joseph was held in a log school-house in 1845. 
There were three members present : a brother 
Shackleford, Mrs. Kitty Boyd, now known as 
"Aunt" Kittle Edwards, and Mrs. Moss, the 
mother of Joseph B. Moss of St. Joseph. "They 
sang an hymn, read the holy scriptures and broke 
the loaf and drank the wine in commemoration of 
the Savior's death and sufferings." They continued 
to meet as they had opportunity, being reinforced 
'hj brethren and sisters who moved into the town. 
At last they prevailed on Elder Duke Young to 
make them a visit. He came ; his meeting was 
held in the old court house, in the year 1850, 
resulting in an organization. Among the early 
converts of the church, there was a young lawyer, 
who had come from Kentucky to practice his pro- 
fession. When he was baptized he immediately 
began to speak in the social meetings of the 
church and was soon regarded quite as good a 
preacher as he was a lawyer, — that man was 
Joseph J. Wyatt. From the time of his baptism, 
the church took on new life. In a few years the 
old brick church on 3d street, below the old Saun- 
ders Hotel, was erected. Allen Mansfield and 
Joseph J. Wyatt were the first elders, the former 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 385 

preaching until the congregation was able to 
employ a minister. The first preacher located 
there was that brilliant and distinguished man, 
the prince of Missouri preachers, Elder Moses E. 
Lard. He served them till about the commence- 
ment of the war, when he removed to Kentucky. 
Through the years of the war, they were much of 
the time without preaching ; Elder Wyatt preach- 
ing much abroad. At the close of the war or soon 
thereafter Elder 'W. C. Rogers, the son of the 
grand old pioneer Samuel Rogers, was employed 
as pastor. After several years, Elder John Line- 
say, of Illinois, was pastor for one year. He was 
succeeded again by elders Wyatt and Rogers, who 
were in turn succeeded by the writer, who 
preached from October '73 to October 1876. Dur- 
ing his pastorate there, the old 3d Street house 
was sold, and the large and elegant house, which 
they now occupy, on the northeast corner of Tenth 
and Edmund Streets, was erected. During these 
three years the writer held several protracted 
meetings in which he was always assisted by 
Elder "Wyatt. During these years nearly three 
hundred persons were added to the church. He 
was succeeded by that earnest and efficient pastor, 
John H. Duncan, who continued there some three 
years. He was succeeded by Elder John C Cor- 
wine, one of our ablest, but one of the most mod- 
est preachers in the State. His family was so sit- 
uated that he could not remove them to St. Joseph, 

25 



386 THE CHRISTIAN" CHURCH Ij!T MIS^SOURI. 

and after one year he was sncceeded by the pres- 
ent popular and efficient pastor, Elder M. M. 
Goode, who has recently added more than one 
hundred and fifty to their number. The church 
in St. Joseph, has always numbered among its 
members, many of the most excellent people of 
the city, and has exercised a fine ipfluence in the 
community. Among its membership in an early 
day were: Old brother Saunders, Dr. and Mrs. 
Boyd, Mr. and Mrs. Moss (afterwards Mrs. Flem- 
ming), Dr. W. J. Heddens, Mrs. Silas Woodson, 
Mrs. J^ancy Micheaux, Mr. and Mrs. Mansfield, 
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Tootle, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin 
Toole, Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt, and later Major and 
Mrs. Christopher, Mr. and Mrs. Alex. Craig, Mr. 
and Mrs. Thomas Haynes, Mrs. Ellen Dale, Abram 
I^ave, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Wood, General and 
Mrs. Eastin, Dr. and Mrs. Gore, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. 
Gore^ and Mr. and Mrs. Tandy H. Trice. At one 
time President Joseph K. Rogers and his wife 
were members there and Colonel and Mrs. Slack, 
the last named being the second daughter of the 
lamented Thomas M. Allen, and many others 
whose names I do not now recall. While Mrs. 
Slack resided there, brother T. M. Allen made fre- 
quent visits, and alway aided the church by giv- 
ing freely his valuable services. He is gratefully 
remembered by the older members of the church. 
This church has always been one of the most lib- 
eral in the State according to their means. Since 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 387 

they have been able, they have sustained the 
home preacher liberally, have paid generously for 
protracted meetings, and given liberally to the 
cause of education and missions. They are now 
on the paying list in all the co-operative work of 
the church. One cause of the great success of the 
church has been the efficiency of the sisterhood. 
They have ever been forward in every good work. 
In the early history of the church, the male mem- 
bers with few exceptions were backward and indif- 
ferent. A prominent preacher once said of the 
church : " When I was there a nobler band of sis- 
ters were not to be found in the State, but if you 
would give me a barrel of flour and a bucket of 
water, I could make a better man than they had in 
the congregation." Of course this was only an 
exaggerated way of speaking of the efficiency of 
the sisterhood and the diffidence of the brethren. 
Elder Joseph J. W(/att, who has been mentioned 
several times in connection with the churches in 
northwest Missouri, was born in St. Clair county, 
Illinois, July 13th, 1819, but was reared in Flem- 
ing county, Kentucky. He was the son of a 
worthy, respectable farmer, and grew up to man- 
hood on his father's farm. His education was 
such as was to be obtained in the neighborhood 
schools of his native county. In his early man- 
hood, he developed a taste for reading, became a 
school teacher, and gave evidence of unusual abil- 
ity as a debater in the societies which were organ- 



388 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

ize'd in the school-houses of the county. After 
some years spent in teaching, he entered the law- 
office of Hon. Leander M. Cox, and prepared him- 
self for the practice of law. In the year 1844 he 
was married to Miss Gooding, and very soon there- 
after removed to Missouri and settled in St. Joseph 
with a view to practicing his profession there. He 
opened an office and entered at once upon the 
practice of law, with fair success for a young law- 
yer in a new town. Although reared "by religious 
parents, up to this time he had never made a pro- 
fession of religion. He had always respected relig- 
ious men, and believed without a doubt the truth 
of the Christian religion. His young wife being of 
strong religious convictions and feelings, he nat- 
urally after his marriage, gave the subject more 
attention. He was at once recognized and identi- 
fied by the few disciples in St. Joseph, as the firm 
friend of the Christian church. At a meeting held 
in St. Joseph, in the year 1850, by Elder A. H. F. 
Payne, he publicly confessed his faith in Christ 
and was immersed. At the time he united 
with the church there was no regalar pastor, the 
congregation being unable to sustain a preacher 
more than one fourth of the time. They, however, 
did like the disciples of old, met together on "the 
first day of the week to break bread." Joseph J. 
Wyatt already somewhat a^ccustomed to public 
speaking, was easily persuaded to speak to the 
little company so assembled, in the absence of 



HISTORICAL AND BIOaRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 389 

their preacher. His familiarity with the holy 
Scriptures, his fluency and fervor in speech, made 
Mm popular at once. He was urged to abandon 
the law and give himself to the work of preaching 
the gospel. In that day and in that region of 
country, where the number of the disciples was 
small, there was little promise of support for the 
preacher. He had a young and increasing family. 
He determined to continue his profession, and do 
whatever he could in the way of preaching the 
gospel. There was at once a demand for his ser- 
vices from all the surrounding country, and he 
soon found himself most actively engaged in the 
work of the ministry. He was after a time elected 
Judge of the Probate Court, and while he held this 
office he had more time for reading and study and 
made rapid growth as a preacher. Later he was 
appointed Post Master of the city of St. Joseph, 
and at the expiration of his term of office, he gave 
up all secular business, and from that time to the 
day of his death he gave himself wholly to the 
work of preaching the gospel. While he did not 
traverse so extensive a field as some of his preach- 
ing brethren, he travelled extensively over the 
northwestern counties of the State, and added 
great numbers to the churches. Elder Wyatt was 
nearly six feet in height, rather heavily and com- 
pactly built, weighed from one hundred and 
eighty to two hundred pounds. His hair was 
brown, his eyes blue, and his complexion clear 



390 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

and somewhat florid. His voice was strong and 
musical, especially on the lower notes, but became 
wild and thrilling when pitched on a high key, as 
it was always in exhortation. Elder Wyatt was 
emphatically '' a preacher of the word." He was 
always content to gather up the sum of scrip- 
tural teachings on the question in hand and pre- 
sent that as his sermon. He was never content, 
however, with simply convincing the judgment. 
He always sought to touch the heart, and arouse 
the sympathy. Unless he moved his audience to 
tears, he counted his effort a failure. It is but just 
to say, however, that he rarely failed to do this. 
Whatever might be the faults of the sermon, the 
exhortation and the appeal were simply superb. 
He was a man of spotless reputation. While 
making no sort of pretension to extraordinary 
piety, he walked among his fellow men in such a 
way as to make them feel that his life was as 
nearly faultless as that of any uninspired man. In 
St. Joseph, where he was baptized, and where he 
continuously resided till the day of his death, he 
had not an enemy in the church or out of it. The 
church there was always delighted to hear him. 
It mattered not who was the pastor there, he gave 
him his hearty co-operation, and his voice was 
often heard in the public worship of the church. 
He Avas for the greater part of his life, a man of 
robust health, and great physical strength. His 
sickness and sudden death were a great surpries 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 391 

and shock to his friends throughout the State. He 
was preparing to go to his beloved people at 
Union, when he was suddenly stricken with paral- 
ysis, and passed away in a few hours. Mourned 
not only by his brethren throughout the Stale, but 
by all the good citizens of the town in which he 
had so long resided. He died on the 9th day of 
April, 1881, in the 62d year of his age. He left a 
devoted wife and three sons to mourn his loss. 
Several have gone before him. His eldest son, J. 
O. Wydtt, is one of the elders of the St. Joseph 
church, and the other two sons are highly respec- 
ted, and successful young business men. His co- 
laborer and intimate friend. Elder W. C. Rogers, 
sends me the following sketch. 

ELDER J. J. WYATT. 

Elder J. J. Wyatt, of St. Joseph, Missouri, was 
by no means a preacher of ordinary ability or 
influence. He was in some respects, also a very 
peculiar man. He was very cautious in choosing 
his friends; when once chosen, it required more 
than a whim, or an evil report to induce him to 
abandon them. He was generous and forgiving 
toward those who were unkind to him. At the 
close of the war, a Christian preacher residing in 
northwest Missouri, was not well received by the 
churches until brother Wyatt interceded in his 
behalf. A few years afterwards, this same 



392 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH I]!^ MISSOURI. 

preacher, unmindful of favors received, spoke in a 
very unbecoming manner of brother Wyatt's abil- 
ity in the pulpit. This was told brother Wyatt 
with no subtraction, but a little addition, as is 
sometime the case. Afterwards I heard brother 
Wyatt speak in high terms of this brother's know- 
ledge of the Bible, his pointed argument, eloquent 
appeals, but not a word of unkindness. This was 
Christ-like. 

But there are times in the life of the preacher, 
when he is fearfully assailed by temptations. If 
there be a weak point, this will surely be assailed 
by the enemy of souls. Brother Wyatt had been 
a laywer. Probate Judge, Post Master, but was 
nevertheless constantly engaged in preaching. A 
few years before his death, while holding a pro- 
tracted meeting with him at Old Union, some of 
the leading politicians and some of his chosen 
political friends addressed him a letter, urging 
him to make the race for Congress in his district ; 
declaring that he would certainly be elected. Dur- 
ing the meeting some brethren seemed to think he 
might possibly be persuaded to run, as all parties 
agreed that he could readily be elected. But they 
knew not the man. I inquired as to his feelings 
in regard to becoming a candidate, etc. He replied 
that he had no thought of entering the arena, or 
becoming a target for the wicked and unscrupu- 
lous to shoot at ; that he differed from some of his 
friends as to his duties toward his country. He 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 393 

was of the opinion that a lawyer, in becoming a 
preacher, might easily succeed in proclaiming the 
gospel, but it was not well for a preacher to aban- 
don his profession for that of the law ; that he pro- 
posed never to give up the ministry for any 
earthly consideration. He then alluded to the 
many temptations in the pathway of the political 
aspirant ; and those Christians who are ambitious 
of earthly honors, he thought were in great danger 
of going astray. 

He knew as well as others, what he could gain 
among men, by catering to the public. But no, 
he was not disposed to engage in such work. 

The preacher's position was one of real honor 
here, among those really honorable. He had 
passed many hajDpy hours with his brethren in 
endeavoring to make his fellow beings happy in 
this world and in the world to come. In this work 
he proposed to live and die. It was to him far 
more than meat and drink — it was a real joy — an 
unspeakable privilege to engage thus in doing 
good ; an honor, a bliss, which this world could 
neither give nor take away. I need not add that 
he continued faithful in th.e ministry, until called 
to a higher field and a grander work. 

How kind to the widow, the orphans, the op- 
pressed, the broken hearted! Methinks I hear 
that voice, "sweet as the music of Aeolian harps,'* 
pleading the cause of the orphan, in the congrega- 
tion. The person before you is firm, but you are 



394 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

not thinking of the speaker. His soul is on fire. 
He is eloquent, but of his eloquence you are not 
thinking. His words are well chosen, very fitting, 
although plain and simple, "but you are not now 
allowed to debate — in fact, you are moving with 
the- speaker — he is bearing you off, you know not 
how or why, but nevertheless it is being done — ^in 
triumph. Now, as the speaker takes his seat, 
look around at the audience ; there is manifest the 
profoundest feeling. All eyes are filled with tears. 
All hearts are captivated. It could not be other- 
v^ise. But who can divine just what has done the 
work ? The voice, the* manner, the speech, the 
magnetism, perhaps all combined; at least the 
great assembly is overwhelmed. 

W. C. Rogers. 

ZACHARIAH LINVILLE. 

Boulder City, Col., July 2d, 1884. 
Dear Brother Haley : — Having seen a statement 
that you were going to write a history of the 
Christian church in Missouri, and I see by your 
specimen articles, which appear from time to time 
in the Christian-Evangelist, that you intend 
giving a brief biography of those ministers that 
were prominent in establishing the cause in the 
State ; and never having seen my father's name in 
print from any of our religious scribes, I felt that 
his name might be overlooked amongst the names 



HISTOEICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 395 

of those godly men, whose love for the cause of 
Christ, for God and humanity, caused them to sac- 
rifice their lives upon the altar of Eternal Truth, 
Justice and Mercy ; who went at the call of the 
Master, and never returned until it was said, "It 
is enough, come home ; thy work is done,'' the 
merit and labor of which, doubtless, will consti- 
tute largely the subject matter of your book. 

Zachary Linville was born in ^NTorth Carolina, 
about the year 1792, moved in early life to middle 
Tennessee, where he was married to Xancy Cash; 
from thence he moved to Jackson county, Mis- 
souri, and after some years, located in the adjoin- 
ing county of Lafayette ; in the Tebo G-rove near 
the town of Dover. The circumstances of my 
father's conversion are not familiar to me, but he 
was converted in early life, and commenced to 
preach the gDspel immediately; commencing at 
the same time as brother Duke Young. He estab- 
lished several churches in and around Tebo Grove. 
He greatly endeared himself to the people of La- 
fayette and Jackson counties. As an evidence of 
the high regard in which he was held. I will give 
an incident that occurred some years after my 
father's death. I was on a return trip from Cali- 
fornia, in the winter of 1856, met the ice at the 
mouth of the Ohio river, and there being no rail- 
road facilities, I purchased a mule, saddle and 
bridle and passed through Tebo Grove on my 
way to Grentry county, Missouri. In passing I 



396 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

found I was in the old neighborhood, for the first 
time since I was five years old, where my father 
had lived, and where I was born ; so I concluded 
to spend the night there. Upon inquiry I found 
myself near old brother Enoch Fox's, whose name 
I only knew from hearing my father speak of him, 
so I turned in and made myself known ; and the 
warmth of feeling that was manifested toward me 
was a great surprise to me. The word soon went 
out that a son of Zachariah Linville was in the 
neighborhood, and many of the people came in to 
see me and learn the particulars of the last c!ays 
of my father and of his death. And great concern 
was manifested in the history, as I gave a detailed 
account of my father's last days on earth, how I 
stood by his dying bed in a lonely cabin, in a 
deep, dark ravine, in a thick woods in the moun- 
tains of California, two thousand, five hundred 
miles from home, alone. The only member of the 
family present, I received his last blessing, assist- 
ed him in his last prayer ; closed his eyes, and 
laid him to rest in a rough pine coffin, in a place 
of his own selection, in the deep, dark, pine forest 
near the crossing of Weaver Creek, two miles 
south of Hangtown, there to rest from the labors 
of a life of toil and sacrifice, from which he had 
never shrunk. 

I found from the respect and interest manifested 
toward me, his son, but an awkward boy, how 
deep a hold he had upon the hearts of the people, 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 397 

and that lie still lived in their affection. And 
although they could not administer to his wants, 
they would show a respect to his son. 

My father sold his farm in Lafayette county 
ana moved to the Platte Purchase, when it was 
first openea to settlement, settling in Buchanan 
county, two miles from Bloomington, now Dekalb, 
before the land sales. Here my father per- 
formed the grandest work of his life. The peo- 
ple here were a hardy, well disposed, tender 
hearted, industrious class, who had seemingly 
never heard the gospel preached; were very 
much inclined to spend their leisure hours and 
Sundays in town, playing cards and ball, diinking 
whisky and , fighting. Bloomington was in this 
condition when my father settled in the commun- 
ity ; but nothing daunted he went to work. He 
made an appoinrment in Bloomington ; the people 
turned out and built an arbor, constructed a rude 
stand in the grove. The day came and father was 
present, and with him almost the entire neighbor- 
hood, the " more part " doubtless to hear what the 
"Campbellites" preached. It was common at this 
time for the men to meet in town on Sunday, and 
engage in their games until the hour for preach- 
ing. Some one would then remark, " Come boys, 
let's go and hear Uncle Zach preach ;" so with one 
consent the bats Avere laid down, the cards 
stacked, and off they Avent, took their seats and 
gave good attention to the close ; they would then 



398 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH I:N- MISSOURI. 

take their hats, and return to their games again 
But soon this state of affairs began to change. 
One by one the leaders became interested in the 
subject of Christianity, and the welfare of their 
souls. They had never heard it in this wise. This 
was truly so plain that a wayfaring man, though 
a fool, need not err therein. They began to con- 
fess Christ, and put him on in the ordinance of 
baptism. Soon the intelligent, thinking portion of 
the community, were absorbed by the church, and 
thus the leaders of the people were gone, and the 
ranks of the enemy were weakened, and the mate- 
rial for a successful church secured. Chief among 
these intelligent families, who led off foremost in 
religious work were those of the Mays, there being 
seven brothers of that name and all heads of fam- 
ilies. These had moved into the Platte purchase 
in an early day. They and their families all 
came into the church, and commenced to exercise 
their gifts immediately, and made good efficient 
members. One of them (David), became a 
preacher. 

My father, in giving the closing invitation, 
would frequently use this remark, 'If any one 
wishes to make the good confession, they now 
have the opportunity to come forward while we 
sing." On one of these occasions without waiting 
for the song, Dr. Taylor, a well read physician, a 
man strictly of the world, and a leader of the 
sports of Bloomington, arose and came forward, 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 399 

remarking as he did so, "I wish to make the good 
confession," creating quite a sensation, and remov- 
ing the embarassment that sometimes attends 
those occasions. 

Thus one after another came forward and took 
membership until he established a large influen- 
tial church. His labors were not confined to 
Bloomington. He spent a great deal of time trav- 
elling and preaching in other parts of the sur- 
rounding country. He labored and built up 
the cause in many congregations, establishing 
churches, etc., without money and without price;, 
never received a stated salary in his life ; was op- 
posed to preaching for money. Father was always 
rather a poor man, yet he never knew absolute 
want, nor has his seed ever begged bread, but he 
was unable to give his children the education they 
were justly entitled to. Father was a stern man, 
of unbounded faith and hope ; had a perfect confi- 
dence in his Leader and his cause ; went forth 
without a shadow of a doubt of success at the 
end ; had no personal enemies. He had peculiar 
success in governing his family. He put them 
under law quite young, and soon taught them to 
respect his authority, never having to correct them 
more than once or twice. His word was law. 

He taught us to believe it was wrong to profane 
the name of God, or violate his laws. We were 
thus educated very young to see our responsibili- 
ties and the dangers of procrastination, and our 



400 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN^ MISSOURI. 

need of a Savior. Thus he lived to see all his 
€hildren connected with the Christian church, but 
the youngest, and she soon followed. We valued 
his counsel so highly that we were all induced to 
settle near him, and the circle remained unbroken 
until his death. Another thing worthy of mention 
in this connection, in regard to the religious train- 
ing of his family ; we all, ten in number, except 
one, married men or women of the world, or of 
other denominations and we all with one excep- 
tion, won our companions by our good conversa- 
tion ; this we think was owing to correct religious 
training brought to bear at the proper time. 
Brother Dr. Ford, of Bethany, Missouri, remarked 
to me some years after father's death " that he 
was the best nurse for a church he ever saw." 
His godly example, and timely counsel made him 
a perfect success. Father's trathfalness was never 
called in question. A man of the world, a friend 
of long standing, by the name of Chris Mulkey, of 
Lafayette county, approached father at one time 
with this remark : '' Uncle Zack, you could deceive 
me more easily than any man in the world." The 
reply was : "Why so, Chris ?" " Why you could 
tell me the biggest lie in the world and I would 
believe you." 

He was not much known outside of his field of 
labor. He followed in the track of many of the 
churches in the early days of the reformation, feel- 
ing that each man was individually responsible o 



HISTORICAL ATO BIOaRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 401 

Ood for his time and his talent, and that he had 
no time to ^confer with others ; but at home he was 
a universal favorite, and was considered author- 
ity on almost any subje,ct. His was a quiet, unas- 
suming life. During the winter of 1844, his health 
began to fail, and he planned a trip to Texas. He 
sold his farm in Buchanan county, gathered his 
children together, and in the spring of 1844 started 
for Texas. It being a very wet spring, we made 
very slow progress ; so when we got on the Boston 
Mountain, our cattle nearly all had " foot-evil " so 
we went into camp for eight weeks, and during 
this time father was preaching in the surrounding 
country, and occasionally in camp; the doctrine 
was new but very plausible, and the common peo- 
ple heard him gladly, but the sects grew desper- 
ate and thought something must be done. So they 
raised a report that he had four living wives, and 
the one he now had was not his wife by marriage. 
This was pretty well circulated before it came to 
his notice, so he publicly refuted the report, by 
those who had known him from the time of his 
marriage. 

He gathered very many into the fold, and admon- 
ished them to hold out faithful unto the end. One 
old gentleman, whose education and opportunities 
were not first class, became very much interested 
in the new religion. He was a Methodist, and 
was convinced very slowly, but after hearing- 
father preach quite often he began to doubt his 

26 



402 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 11^ MISSOURI. 

former position (for lie was an honest man), Ms 
mind was not at rest, and lie must be.satisfied on 
that subject; so he arose long before daylight, and 
walked several miles to our camp, called father 
out of bed and told him his business and wherein 
his troubles lay. Father began to remove them 
one by one, until the old man became desperate, 
and for want of Scripture to prove his position, 
gave a quotation from the old "Elementary" spell- 
ing book. Father assured him that he could not 
accept that as Scripture. "Why?" said he, "its 
in the spelling-book." The old man's mind was 
soon disabused, and he, like the eunuch, demand- 
ed baptism. Father called a few witnesses 
together, took his confession, and then went to the 
water and buried him in baptism, and he went on 
his way rejoicing, having no more doubts. Before 
we left camp, the people offered to buy father a 
choice farm and give it to him, if he would settle 
there, but he saw fit to return to Missouri, which 
he did that same fall, settling in Gentry county, 
on the waters of the Grand River, in the spring of 
1845. Here his labors were again resumed, and 
for four years he labored very successfully, estab- 
lishing a large church in his neighborhood ; 
preached for the church in Salem, and the church 
on Hickory Creek, in Harrison county ; also for 
the church on the Island branch in Gentry county. 
In 1849, my father concluded to take me to Cali- 
fornia for my health. We landed in the vicinity 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 403 

of Hangtown, on the ISth day of September, and 
on the 23d day of December he died from the 
effects of the change of climate ; being rational to 
within a few hours of his death, talked freely of 
his departure, selected his place of burial on a 
nice elevation at the foot of a large pine tree ; a fit- 
ting place for the long deep repose of a self sacri- 
ficing, kind-hearted, noble pioneer. Best, dear 
father, until the time of thy waking comes. 

F. Z. LiNYILLE. 



404 THE CHRISTIAj^ church ly MISSOURI. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

ELDER E. V. RICE. 

One of the sweetest spirited men who ever min- 
istered in the Christian Church in Missouri was 
he whose name heads these lines. I knew him, 
hut not well enough to write such a sketch of him 
as should appear in these pages. I therefore wrote 
to his "brother-in-law, Col. J. Torrey, of St. Lsuis, 
for material for a suitable sketch. He referred my 
letter to his daughter, and she referred the matter 
to brother J. D, Dawson, of Louisiana, to whom I 
am indebted for the following well written aotice 
of this most excellent brother : 

''Dear Brother Haley: — I need not explain 
these lines to you, as the accompanying notes will 
do it much better. 

''I am not in possession of any facts relating to 
the early life of brother E. Y. Kice. His familj' 
came to Illinois from Tennessee. He was proba- 
bly born and brought up in the former State. His 
educational advantages were meager, owing to the 
newness of the country in which his early days 
were spent. I made a trip with him to Illinois a 
few years before he died, and was at the houses 
of fire of his brothers, all living at that time upon 
farms within a few miles of Jacksonville. He 
himself was raised on a farm, but while quite a 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 405 

young man lie liad quitted his farm life and went 
to clerk in a dry goods store. He married Ms first 
wife in Pittsfield, Illinois. Concerning Ms early 
religious life, tlie circumstances under wMch lie 
became a Christian, and the struggles he had with 
poverty in order that he might become a minister 
of the gospel, I can communicate no certain facts. 
But with a heart full of love for Christ and his 
fellow men, he, at quite a tender age, felt impelled 
to give utterance to his feelings and convictions in 
the prayer-meetings, and soon was pushed forward 
to take the laboring oar in conducting meetings, 
in which he proved to ^be successful, and many 
through his labors were turned to Christ. But as 
his work enlarged he felt himself hampered and 
narrowed for the want of mental stores and equip- 
ments so necessary for every minister of the gos- 
pel to possess in order to success. He made up 
his mind to gain these, if possible, and although 
married and with a small family, he retired for a 
time from the evangelical field and went to Beth- 
any College, taking his family with him. After a 
a stay of several years he left Bethany and came 
to Louisiana, Missouri, where he remained several 
years, taught school and preached for the church. 
In 1865 he moved to Troy, Missouri, and took 
charge of a seminary. After some years spent 
there he was induced to locate in St. Louis. I 
need not trace his career further, as it is probable 
you are familiar with it. I enclose in this two 



406 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH IIS" MISSOURI. 

notices of liim, one written by W. C. Dawson, my 
son, and the other by H. D. Clark. 
" With Christian regard, very truly, 

'^J. D. Dawsois^." 



'^ Death of E. Virgil Bice. This announcement 
will be painful news to many of the readers of the 
Times, A late letter from his home in Louisiana, 
Missouri, conveys the tidings of his peaceful end 
on Sunday afternoon, March 5th, 1871. A formal 
obituary notice will doubtless soon appear. Mean- 
while, on my own behalf, I wish to say a few 
words of one whom I have long known and loved. 
While brother Rice had not a reputation through- 
out the brotherhood as some have, who possess 
less mental and spiritual endowments, there were 
few of our congregations in Illinois and Missouri, 
that did not know him either by personal acquain- 
tance or by report of his labors. But within these 
limits where his life was spent and his work was 
done, he has left an ineffaceable record of him- 
self. I feel warranted in saying for others what 
I can say for myself, that the impress of a sweet, 
strong spirit like his, made upon individual minds 
and hearts is to them a "joy forever" and through 
them must be a perpetual blessing to the world. 

Brother Rice commenced his ministry at an early 
age, in Illinois, and after having been married for 
several years, took his family with him to Beth- 
any College, where he remained, I believe, two 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 407 

sessions or perhaps three, and completed the 
classical course "but did not graduate. Returning 
home, he threw himself into the work of preach- 
ing the gospel, with all the ardor of a soul on fire, 
and, constrained by the love of Christ, with a 
whole-hearted zeal, he cast aside all consideration 
of selfish interest or ease that he might "finish his 
course with joy and the ministry which he had 
received of the Lord Jesus." 

His physical frame was from the first feeble and 
delicate. For several years after he began preach- 
ing he was totally or partially blind with ophthal- 
mia. The disease of the lungs, under which he 
sank at last was developed, but through all he 
persevered not only preaching the gospel but sup- 
porting himself by other labors, that he might 
preach it. I speak what I know when I affirm 
that he never received an adequate support for his 
family. His mental organization was fine and del- 
icate. There was a subtle penetrating force about 
his thoughts which I have never known in another 
person. He was gifted with a philosophical in- 
sight as rare as it is precious, a perception of the 
true relation of things, and a far reaching vision 
of the ultimate truth, in a complexity of argument 
which was native and intuitive. Sir William 
Hamilton, De Quincy, Coleridge and writers of 
this class were his favorite study in his hours of 
rest and relaxation. I have visited him upon his 
sick bed and found him eager to begin an argu- 



408 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

ment on conscience, suspended unfinished two or 
three years before. A touching reminder to me 
that these studies and investigations of other and 
happier days, were not forgotten in the languish- 
ing and painful close of life, is the legacy I have 
just received, of Sir William Hamilton's Lectures 
on Metaphysics. His mental independence was 
absolute. He never was contented to think along 
the ruts of other men's travel; he would find his 
own path, and be his own pilot. Hence a theme 
worn out in other hands, became fresh and attrac- 
tive in his. His fervid spiritual nature, and poetic 
enthusiasm, would throw a new soul into a theme, 
where new treatment by analysis, and argument 
was clearly impossible. It might be thought one 
thus endowed with rare genius and peculiar gifts, 
would be disqualified by temperament for preach- 
ing the simple story of the Cross, and dealing 
with the homely doubts and difficulties of common 
sense. His whole nature, mental and spiritual, 
would have been shocked by such a result. The 
object of all the restless inquiry and activity of 
his mind was to simplify for common use the mys- 
teries of godliness, and to make the story of the 
Cross attractive to ears tired and dull of hearing. 
Of all the preachers whom I have heard, I have 
known not one, who had such a wealth of illustra- 
tion as he. He drew upon all the stores of his 
knowledge of nature, of men, of books, above ail 
of the Book of Books, that from these he might 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 409 

obtain a fact, an instance, a principle wMch would 
illustrate (that is, illuminate) his subject and 
bring his thought within reach of the humblest 
capacity. I have been speaking of his mind. On 
this subject I could enlarge at any length, and mj 
admiration would tempt me to trespass too far 
upon your space, and your reader's patience. But 
how shall I speak of his heart, without touching 
my own in a place too tender and sad by his loss, 
for me to reveal. In my first attempts to preach 
the gospel, he was almost my constant counsellor 
and guide. Under his auspices my letters of ordi- 
nation were granted. In many miles of travel, 
many weeks of companionship, and many years of 
close and intimate friendship, I learned to love 
Mm with a brother's love. When death at last 
came, it found him with his house set in order, 
and prepared to go. In his weakness he was made 
strong by the Savior's love, and he closed his eyes 
in the calm and trustful hope of immortality. He 
has gone almost before the maturity of his powers 
was attained; and the struggle has closed in peace. 
" And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto 
me, Write : Blessed are the dead who die in the 
Lord, from henceforth saith the spirit. Yea, that 
they may rest from their labors and their works 
do follow them." William C. Dawsois". 

Louisiana, Mo., March, '71. 



410 THE CHRISTIAIS- CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

Brother E. Y. Rice died in this city, on Lord's 
day evening, the 5th inst. On the "day of all the 
week the best," as the sun was going out through 
the golden gate of the West, the pearly gates of 
the celestial city opened to grant his weary 
spirit welcome. His life was earnest and labori- 
ous, his death was peaceful and triumphant. The 
faithful " soldier of the cross " has received his 
promotion — has been called " up higher." He was 
buried in Pittsfield, Hlinois, followed to an hon- 
ored grave by his devoted wife and children, his 
aged mother and two brothers and a vast con- 
course of friends. This has been his home in for- 
mer years, where in teaching and preaching he 
had accomplished much good; and had enshrined 
himself in many hearts ; as was evinced by the 
deep-drawn sighs and tearful eyes of young and 
old who looked lovingly upon his sleeping form, 
*' asleep in Jesus." His body reposes in the bosom 
of his mother earth, side by side with honored 
dust, and his spirit rests in the paradise of God. 
Long years of toil fitted him for a full portion of 
^^the rest that remaineth " while a rich harvest 
crowns his earthly labors. His trials and sor- 
rows are forgotten amid "the joys unspeakable." 
The sun of his day of life sank beneath its horizon 
rich in the mellowed light of a peaceful hope, to 
rise in the cloudless splendor of eternal day. I 
intend no epitome of his life ; let this be given by 
some one older, and more competent than myself, 



HISTORICAL A:N^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 411 

but I desire to accord my appreciation of liim as a 
man of ability and merit. His native modesty 
obscured liis real worth and power. Had liis faith 
in the omnipotence of brass, been as strong as 
that of some far inferior, his name would have 
shone quite resplendent. His faith in the omnipo- 
tence of hard work was strong, for he belonged to 
the list of self-made men. In the morning dawn 
of early manhood he gave heart and life to the 
Savior, that life, too, was to be made valuable as 
possible. He would be no cipher but a positive 
power in the church, and in the world ; that the 
world should be wiser, better, happier for his hav- 
ing lived. He was no son of opulence and luxury, 
but belonged to that large class that is self-sus- 
taining, and that climb the rugged steep of life by 
personal effort and rigid economy. Lowly cradles, 
humble cottages, and obscure mothers, hold a 
mighty debt of obligation against the world. By 
his own exertion in manual labor, teaching and 
preaching, he obtained the means to educate him- 
self, thus furnishing an example to the young, 
that purpose, patience, perseverance, piety and 
providence are the essentials of enduring success. 
He entered upon the public ministry of the 
word at twenty, and filled out a score of years in 
the Master's service, and now he ''rests from his 
labors " but his works will follow on for many 
years yet, for much of his sowing remains to be 
gathered in amid the glad angelic harvest home. 



412 THE CHRISTIAN" CHURCH i:S" MISSOURI. 

He kept no register of conversions made under Ms 
ministry, regarding it a species of self-glorifica- 
tion. Paul may plant and Apollos may water, 
but God gives tlie increase. This absence of ego- 
tism is worthy of emulation by young ministers 
who try ''to get themselves before the people." 
His life belonged to the public, and for several 
years mainly to this State. Thinking that it would 
gratify many of his friends to read them I have 
obtained permission to publish the following ab- 
stracts from his pen. They were written in the 
confidence of private fraternal correspondence to 
one of his brothers ; in a letter bearing date No- 
vember 2d5 1869, a few months after he commenced 
his labors with the 8th and Mound Street church, 
in St. Louis. He says : 

I now feel that I am just beginning to be pre- 
pared for my work. Could I have bodily strength 
even such as for the last ten years, I believe God 
would make me a weakness out of which he could 
work some good. He, however, has been pleased 
to leave me little hope of this. He has at the 
same time, greatly increased my better, higher 
hope. For the last year my health has been grow- 
ing more and more precarious. I have been in 
doubt about my lungs. All doubt has been 
removed. Last week an attack of hemorrhage 
showed me my real condition. I can hardly feel 
that my work is done yet, and still I can hardly 
hope to be well again. I may live for years, may 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 413 

possibly be well once more, but decline is far 
more probable, and liiy departure from earth not 
many years distant." After speaking of some 
trials and disappointments in his life, he pro- 
ceeds : '• Yet it has been a happy life, far above 
what I have deserved. I have found infinitely more 
for which to be thankful, than at which to repine. 
I love this beautiful world which onr heavenly 
Father has made for us. I am delighted with 
these hallowed loves, with which he sweetens our 
lives here, but I am neither dismayed or afraid at 
the prospect of death. When it comes, if God will 
keep me from evil, it will come a messenger from 
the skies. My only care is to serve the Master 
and my family, till my change comes. Work has 
been my watch-word, and by the help of God 
shall be till I die. The wealth of this world is 
vanity and vexation of spirit. The applause of 
men is an empty, powerless thing, but the love of 
God is life and peace. I know I am all unworthy 
of our blessed Savior, but he came because we are 
not and can not be worthy of him and he will not 
leave me to shame." 

Such is the faith that overcomes the world. I 
was with him frequently during the last month of 
his illness, and to him death came as the angel of 
deliverance. With the sting moved by the Re- 
deemer's pardoning mercy, and the fear sup- 
planted by "the living hope" he felt it a blessed 
thing to " die in the Lord." H. D. Clark. 



414 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH m MISSOURI. 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

ELDER JOSEPH J. ERRETT. 

Among those who labored in Pike county Mis- 
souri at an early day, none was more prominent 
or more successful than Joseph J. Errett. Brother 
Errett was born in New York City October 17th, 
1815, and was a member of that family of preach- 
ing brethren so widely known throughout the 
country, Isaac Errett of the " Standard " being 
one of them. He came to Pittsburg, Penn., in 1832 
and was baptized when eighteen years of age. 
When a youth he was apprenticed to the trade of 
a saddle and harness maker. When he married 
he determined to seek his fortune in what was 
then known as the far west. He was married to 
Rachel Davis, March 6th, 1837, and came to Mis- 
souri and settled at Palmyra in Marion county 
the same year. Here he engaged in business. 
He had become a disciple at his home and 
brought with him testimonials of Christian char- 
acter. Having learned to pray and exhort in the 
social meetings of the church from which he came, 
he soon took a prominent part in the social meet- 
ings of the church in his new home. He was so 
well instructed in the word of God, was such a 
graceful and fluent speaker, that the brethren 
urged him to take up the work of the ministry to 
which he finally consented. 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 415 

He did not, however, for some time give up his 
business, but visited the surrounding congrega- 
tions and communities and preached for them on 
Saturday evening and Lord's day. His services 
were however, very soon in such demand that he 
was compelled to surrender secular business in a 
measure, and give himself wholly to the work of 
the ministry. 

In 1851 he removed to Pike county and settled 
near the village of Paynesville where he continued 
to reside up to the time of his death. When he 
removed to the county he found congregations 
already organized at Clarksville, Louisiana and 
Frankford. These had been in existence for some 
years and he served them all at different periods 
during his residence in the county. He was the 
first Missouri agent who ever traveled in the State 
for the old "American Christian Missionary Soci- 
ety." He was also at different times the most suc- 
cessful evangelist of the District Co-operation of 
which his county formed a part. 

When the Missouri Female Orphan School of 
the Christian Church was founded he became one 
of the solicitors for the endowment fund and can- 
vassed with a good degree of success the churches 
in the eastern part of the State, securing some 
$6,000.00. 

Most of the years of Ms ministerial life however 
were spent in preaching monthly to the various 
churches throughout his part of the State, and in 



416 THE CHRISTIAIS' CHURCH 11!^ MISSOURI. 

holding protracted meetings, in which he was gen- 
erally successful. He was personally popular 
with his preaching brethren and was a great fav- 
orite with the churches wherever he traveled. He 
was actively engaged in the work of the ministry 
in his section until within a few weeks of his 
death. His health had been somewhat impaired 
but he was not considered at all dangerous. 
When the State meeting was held in Moberly 
in September 1880 he attended and greatly 
enjoyed the meeting. On his return home to 
Clarksville he preached to his congregation on 
the work of the convention, giving an account of 
the meeting and was enthusiastic in its praise. 

A few days after the meeting, in the delightful 
autumn days, his wife and other members of the 
family had occasion to visit a neighbor, and he 
remained at home engaged in reading a favorite 
author. Some children in the neighborhood who 
had been in the habit of calling there to ask for 
fruit, called and knocked at the door but receiving 
no answer they looked in at the window, and 
saw his prostrate form near the chair in which 
he was accustomed to sit. They ' immediately 
summoned the physician of the village, who was 
his sonin-law, and other members of the family, 
who on entering found that he was dead. His 
spirit had suddenly taken its flight to the spirit 
world. He had been stricken with paralysis. 
There was no one present to hear his last words. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 417 

No one to receive kindly messages for his loved 
ones. As Moses died on the mountain alone with 
God, so dear brother Errett, in his own humble 
home, alone with that God whom he had so faith- 
fully served, met the king of tenors. But we can 
safely say that death had no terrors for him; 
since the sting of death is sin — and he had for 
many long years by the grace of God been dead 
to sin — the sting of death to him had been taken 
away. The news of his death spread rapidly, 
and soon large crowds of his neighbors and 
friends gathered about his home. It was remark- 
able that on the day of his funeral, which was 
preached by the writer in the church in Clarks- 
ville, where he had so long ministered, that the 
house and yard were filled with the old men 
and women of the community, who mourned him 
as if he had been a member of their respective 
households. A larger assembly was never con- 
vened at any funeral service held in the county. 
His body was laid away to rest among his breth- 
ren and friends, many of whom he had followed 
to their last resting place; there to await the 
voice of Him who said, "I am the resurrection 
and the life. Whoso believeth in me, though he 
were dead, yet shall he live again." Brother 
Errett left a faithful wife who still survives him, 
and three daughters and two sons. His children 
are all faithful disciples, and worthy descendants 
of this worthy minister. 

27 



418 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH 11^ MISSOURI. 

Brother Errett was not a scholarly man. He 
made no pretension to greatness in any direction. 
He was a plain, simple character, "but one of the 
purest of men ; a man of fine common sense ; one 
who understood the gospel, and told " the old, old 
story well." He was content ''to know nothing 
save Jesus Christ and him crucified." The 
churches in all that section loved him, and they 
do most cheerfully acknowledge their indebted- 
ness to him. He was greatly loved by his brother 
ministers, and highly esteemed by those without 
as well. He was first of all a man. He was a 
gentleman ; a Christian gentleman, and this being 
said it need not be said that he enjoyed the confi- 
dence and respect of all who knew him. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 419 



CHAPTER XXy. 

The following^ sketch of brother Young who lab 
ored much in Buchanan county, is here inserted. 

ELDER DUKE YOUNG. 

Elder Diike Young was a preacher of much 
more than ordinary ability. Like all the pioneers 
of this Reformation, he was a man of positive 
character. What he believed, he proclaimed to 
the people with unquestioning confidence ; and by 
the authority of his Master. He never tampered 
with any of the commandments of the New Testa- 
ment, never at any time, or under any circum- 
stances, compromised one iota of what he con- 
ceived to be the truth. He read and studied but 
one Book, and had but one mission in this world, 
namely, "to preach the word." He was full of 
zeal and energy, and loved to go from place to 
place preaching the gospel of Christ. 

From his boyhood, Duke Young was a " Jack- 
son Democrat," and was an intimate friend of 
" old Hickory." It is well known ihat Jackson 
loved and helped his friends. At one time he re- 
marked to Young that he could obtain for him a 
lucrative position in the Land Office, located at 
Lexington, Missouri. This would have been a 
temptation to some men, but was none to brother 



420 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

Young. He declined the office with many thanks, 
and clung to his chosen profession, preferring 
preaching and poverty, to political honors with 
affluence. 

He possessed a great fund of humor, and was a 
general favorite witli all preachers who knew him, 
notwithstanding he treated them at times rather 
cavalierly. For several years he lived and labored 
in northwest Missouri, making his home in An- 
drew county. During these years he often attend- 
ed the great meetings of the brethren, held in the 
central part of the State, sometimes at Lexington, 
Columbia, or Fulton, where he was ever delighted 
to meet the '-Fallen Heroes," T. M. Allen, T. N. 
Gaines, Marcus P. Wills, Jacob Creath Jr., Joel 
Haden and others, gathering up, as he phrased it, 
"powder and ball" sufficient to do him through 
an entire campaign. At one of these meetings it 
was announced after the services that on the next 
day Elders Young and Gaines would preach, 
brother Young in the morning at 11 o'clock, 
brother Gaines at night. It so happened that 
these two brethren lodged together overnight at 
the same place. In conversation after retiring to 
rest, brother Gaines gave brother Young the heads 
of the discourse he proposed delivering the follow- 
ing evening. It was a fine discourse, and brother 
Young was delighted with it, and thanked brother 
Gaines for laying it before him. The next day at 
11 o'clock, when brother Young read his text a 



HISTORICAL A^B BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 421 

peculiar smile lighted up his features. With as 
much gravity as possible he proceeded to deliver 
the veritable discourse of brother Graines, letting 
him and others know that he was ^'on the ground" 
for the very purpose of learning as much as possi- 
ble from all of his dear brethren. Brother Gaines 
was of course astonished and "used up " but there 
was no harm done, for when the time came for 
preaching, brother Gaines was equal to the occa- 
sion. 

Brother Young was a man of much sympathy 
and benevolence. He was not only a godly man 
in conversation and in life, but he believed that 
God was ever near his people, helping them day 
by day. He was unable to see how there could 
exist a general, without a special Providence ; in 
this conviction he lived and died. 

A touching and somewhat amusing incident is 
related of him. On his way to a great meeting 
held at Lexington, Missouri, he was travelling on 
horse-back and alone. The morning was clear 
and cool. He overtook a poor woman, with two or 
three ragged children, walking. Entering into 
conversation, he soon learned that she was a 
widow, and that she and her little ones had start- 
ed on their day's journey, hungry, and without a 
cent of money with which to buy bread. He im- 
mediately gave her all the money he had in his 
pocket, telling her at the same time to be of good 
cheer, that the Lord would certainly provide for 



422 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

her and her children. Riding on, musing upon 
the fortunes and misfortunes appertaining to this 
world, he soon arrived at the Missouri river. ' The 
ferryman being on the other side he shouted aloud 
to him to "Come over" he desired to "cross." 
Hitching his horse he sat down at the root of a 
large tree, and for the first time realized that he 
had not a cent of money with which to pay his 
way over the river. For some time he sat in deep 
thought, now and then unconsciously striking the 
end of his riding whip in the sand and dust at his 
feet. Finally he struck and unearthed a half dol- 
lar in silver. He joyfully picked it up remarking 
that the Lord gave it to him just at the time he 
needed it most. And no mortal could ever have 
convinced him to the contrary. All the casuistry 
of philosophers or metaphysicians with their " ins 
and outs " could never have availed anything in 
setting aside this firm conviction. 

W. C. Rogers. 

ELDER TIMOTHY FORD. 



This worthy minister was born in 



, and in his early life was a licensed exhor- 

ter in the Methodist Episcopal church. As will 
be seen by reference to the sketch of Elder S. E. 
Jones, he was induced to abandon Methodism and 
accept New Testament Christianity, in faith and 
in practice, under the labors of that earnest and 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCllES. 423 

successful evangelist. He at once entered actively 
upon the work of preaching the old gospel without 
any "additions or subtractions" and spent his 
life in pleading with the world to accept Christ, 
and with the denominations to restore primitive 
Christianity. Brother Ford was a man of fine 
natural ability, a good speaker, a tender exhorter, 
and withal a fine singer. , He had a vein of humor 
in his nature, which, with his delicate sense of 
propriety and sanctified common sense, made him 
a charming fireside companion. He was a man of 
unblemished reputation and exerted a fine influ- 
ence in all the region in which he lived. He was 
the friend and associate of Elder T. M. Allen, J. J. 
Errett, Dr. Hopson, and in fact all the preachers 
who labored in that part of the country. He en- 
joyed the meetings of his brethren and was found 
in the midst of their counsels wherever they were 
gathered together. Brother Ford lived to a good 
old age, and died in the triumphs of the Christian 
faith. His memory is fragrant, and multitudes of 
his spiritual children rise up to call him blessed. 
Many of those dear old men, whose lives were 
spent in labor for the spread of the gsopel, had 
but little reward, and sometimes but little appre- 
ciation in this life, but in that great day, when all 
the influence of the whole life is seen in its grand 
results, they will receive crowns with many stars, 
and realize the gracious promise that they who 
turn many to righteousness shall shine as the 



424 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

stars forever and ever. Among that great company 
will be found tlie subject of tliis too brief, and 
all imperfect sketch, Elder Timothy Ford. The 
following letter is here inserted. It tells of the 
churches in which brother Ford labored much. 

March 27th, 1886. 

Rev. Thomas P. Haley. — Bear Brother: In 
response to your request in the Christian-Evais'- 
GELiST, for information in regard to pioneer 
preachers in northeast Missouri, I will give you a 
short sketch of one or two who are not known to 
history so far as I am advised, who de serve honor- 
able mention in the book you purpose giving to 
the public, and will be read with interest by many 
in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky. 

Stephen Ruddle was born in the State of Virgi- 
nia (which at that time comprised the State of 
Kentucky) in the year 1767. His father was En- 
glish, his mother was German. His father was the 
builder and owner of Ruddles' Mills, built at the 
junction of Stoner and Kingston, two streams that 
at that time afforded abundant water for propell- 
ing mill machinery, situated in Bourbon county. 
The education of Stephen Ruddles was scant, as 
he was captured by the Indians when he was only 
nine years old and held by them until he was 
twenty-nine, thus he was with them twenty years 
in which time he learned their language, manners 
and customs and traditions. After he returned to 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 425 

his father in Kentucky, he went to school and 
learned to read and to write, and being a good 
student and anxious to gain information, he soon 
became the equal of his fellows. After he had 
been home a few years he joined the Baptist 
church, and received his call and became a 
preacher ; and during his ministerial labors he 
came in contact with Barton W. Stone, whom he 
greatly admired and whose teaching wrought 
quite a change in his views in regard to many 
things taught by the Baptists. In the year 1817, 
he with several families, came to Missouri and 
settled on Ramsies' Creek in Pike county; and 
on February 21st, 1818, he organized a church at 
Ramsies' Creek, on the Bible alone, and preached 
the doctrine of " free grace " to all who attended 
upon his ministry. He claimed no exclusive privil- 
ege at the Lord's table, but taught that the Lord's 
people had a right to partake. Some Baptists 
united with the Christians (for that was the name 
they preferred), but in process of time they drew 
off and organized a Baptist church, occupying the 
same house of worship. I have heard the state- 
ment made, time and again, that Stephen Ruddle, 
delivered the first discourse ever preached by a 
Christian preacher, in this part of the State. He 
ministered to this church ten or eleven years, and 
not to only this church, but he preached along the 
Mississippi bluff, in Pike and Lincoln counties. In 
the year '29 he sold his farm and moved to Adams 



426 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

county, Illinois, where lie continued to preach as 
long as he was able, and died in a good old age. 
He was greatly beloved, and was quite popular as 
a pulpit orator. 

Another preacher that deserves honorable men- 
tion, a nephew of Stephen Buddies', who filled the 
pulpit vacated by him — Jolin D. Mulherin — was 
born in the State of Kentucky, in 1810 ; he came to 
Missouri, with his parents, in 1817; made a pro- 
fession of religion at an early age, and by dint of 
hard study and close application, acquired consid- 
erable knowledge of the Scriptures and was quite 
proficient as a preacher of the gospel of Christ, 
and did much for the cause in this part of the 
State. The church at Ramsies' Creek, was known 
extensively, and visited by preachers whose name 
is legion ; among whom was Sam Rogers, James 
Hughes, James McBride, Jerry P. Lancaster, Bar- 
ton W. Stone, himself, Jacob Creath, W. H. Hop- 
son, and many others of more or less note. 

After the death of J. D. Mulherin, which occurr- 
ed in September, 1852, Joseph J. Errett was called 
to minister to this church, and during the early 
days of his ministry a proposition was made to 
dissolve old Eamsies' Creek church, and build two 
new ones ; which they did, one at Clarkesville and 
one at Paynesville. Brother Errett was their 
preacher at Paynesville from 1852, until his death. 

A. R. Barton. 

Paynesmlle, Mo. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 427 

CHAPTER XXYI. 

ELDER JACOB CREATH. 

This sketch is taken largely from his autobiog- 
raphy. 

The subject of this sketch for a great many 
years, was known as Elder Jacob Creath Jr., 
because he had an uncle in Kentucky of the same 
name, who was also a preacher of the gospel. 
While the early life of this distinguished, and in 
many respects remarkable man was spent in Ken- 
tucky and Virginia, his ripe manhood and declin- 
ing years were spent in Missouri ; and his name 
is inseparably and prominently, and I am glad to 
say honorably, connected with the early struggles 
of the Christian churches of his adopted State. 

He was born on the 17th day of January, 1799, 
on Butcher's Creek, Mecklenburg county, Virginia. 
He was the second son of Elder William Creath, 
who was for a great many years a prominent Bap- 
tist preacher in Virginia. His mother had thir- 
teen children, nine sons and four daughters. Four 
of her sons became preachers of the gospel. He 
grew up on a farm, and as his father was very 
much from home, and as ministers in those days 
for the most part labored without salary and with 
very little compensation, the burden of supporting 
the large family, devolved upon the mother and 



428 THE CHRISTIATT CHURCH EN" MISSOURI. 

older sons. He was therefore compelled to share 
the labors of the farm from about nine years of 
age, until majority. In his 22d year he commen- 
ced the study of English, Latin and Greek gram- 
mar. At a very early period in life, his attention 
became aroused to his eternal welfare. In those 
days it was inculcated that people must pass by 
Mount Sinai, and hear a certain amount of its 
thunder before they could catch even a glimpse of 
Mount Calvary. They were instructed that they 
could do nothing, and yet that they would cer- 
tainly be damned unless something was done. He 
underwent what in those days was denominated 
"a great law work." "I strove as hard," he re- 
marked, " to observe the law of Moses as though I 
had been a Jew." He desired most sincerely to 
be a Christian, but knew not how to become one. 
And from none of the teachers of that day, how- 
ever distinguished, could he obtain the desired 
information. He exerted himself to secure the 
favor of Grod, by his good deeds, and sometimes 
thought he had almost succeeded, when all at once 
some gust of wrong feeling would drive him from 
his course, and disperse all his hopes of divine 
friendship. He tried to drown his sorrows in infi- 
delity, but his conscience would not allow him to 
become an infidel. The word of truth had pierced 
his soul too deeply for that. He believed the 
Bible to be the word of Grod, and Jesus to be the 
Christ, the Son of the living God, as firmly as now, 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 429 

"but the preachers told him " that was historical 
faith and would by no means answer his purpose? 
and that his only chance of salvation consisted 
in being born again." But how to obtain that all 
important boon, the deponant testified not. Thus 
was he left in the dark, withouf pathway or guide. 
"Had I been told," said he, "to believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ, and be baptized for the remis- 
sion of sins, I could have been a Christian at ten 
years of age, as easily as at seventeen. I never 
saw the day that I did not desire to be good, and 
to please God, my Maker. I often withdrew to re- 
tired places, and prayed him that I might see a 
great light shining around ms, like Saul of Tar- 
sus, or hear a voice informing me that my sins 
were pardoned." 

In April, 1817, the Meherrin Baptist Associa- 
tion met at Ready Creek meeting house, in Bruns- 
wick county, Virginia, about thirty miles from his 
father's house. His father and other preachers 
were expected on this occasion. " I concluded," 
said he, " to attend the meeting, with the faint 
hope of obtaining soma relief from my protracted 
mental agony. At the close of the last discourse 
on Lord's day, James Shelburne, the father of 
Silas Shelburne, invited persons present, in dis- 
tress of mind to come forward and be prayed for; 
observing that all who did so at the last Associa- 
tion, a year ago, had obtained a hope and had 
been baptized, and that some of these were now 



430 THK CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

preaching the gospel ; instancing his own son, 
Silas, and Jamps Jeffries. While he was thus 
addressing us, the thought occurred to me, that I 
could not live another year, under the mental 
anguish which I had so long endured, and that the 
present moment might be the only opportunity 
which God would ever afford me of fleeing from 
the wrath to come. Influenced by this considera- 
tion, and overwhelmed with solicitude and sor- 
row, I pressed through the densely crowded audi- 
ence, that I might enjoy the benefit of their pray- 
ers. There was great rejoicing among the preach- 
ers both on my own account and on my father's. 
They prayed very fervently for my salvation, and 
taking it for granted that their prayers would be 
answered, welcomed me to the enjoyment of God's 
favor. My perturbation of mind was somewhat 
assuaged, but permanent relief was not afforded. 
Soon after, m>y father asked me if he might pub- 
lish that I would be baptized at the next church 
meeting on Wilson's Creek, three miles from his 
home, on the third Lord's day in May. I remark- 
ed that I would prefer to wait a little longer, as I 
did not wish to deceive myself or others. He an- 
swered, " Arise, and be baptized and wash away 
thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." I auth- 
orized him to do as he desired. The appointed 
time having arrived, and candidates for church 
membership having been invited to present them- 
selves, I alone went forward. Few at that time 



HISTORICAL AI^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 431 

cared for their souls. My father then said to me : 
" My son, will you begin and tell what the Lord 
has done for your soul ?" I replied that I had not 
much to tell, but any question which he would 
propose, I would endeavor to answer. His first 
interrogatory was : " Have you seen yourself to be 
a sinner?" I responded, " I have seen and known I 
was a sinner." ''Do you think," he continued, 
"that you can save yourself by deeds of the law?" 
I replied, "No fiesh shall be justified in the sight 
of Grod." " On whom," said he, " do you depend 
for salvation ?" I answered, " On Jesus Christ, 
for there is no other name under heaven among^ 
men whereby we must be saved." " Do you wish," 
he added, " to be baptized?" " My coming here," 
I observed, "is the best evidence of that." Do 
you, he remarked, from this time forward, intend 
to live the life of a Christian ? My answer was, 
"with God's help I intend to do so till death." 
My examination havimg proved satisfactory, they^ 
received me. And the next day being Lord's day, 
my father immersed me in the presence of a vast 
multitude of people, including school-mates, inti- 
mate friends and neighbors. When I emerged 
from the water, I possessed what had never fallen 
to my lot before, " the answer of a good conscience 
toward God." I felt tranquil as a summer eve. 
My "peace was as a river," I rejoiced with joy 
indescribable and full of glory. I continued to 
praise God and rejoice ; I was diligent in business. 



432 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH I]^f MISSOURI. 

fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Many a happy 
Lord's day did I spend while yet a youth, both 
before and after my baptism. The hard toil to 
which I was subjected during the week did not 
render less sweet the rest of the sacred day. On 
thp third Lord's day in June, just three months 
after his conversion, Elder Creath preached his 
first sermon. His text was taken from Gral., 3 : 10. 
" For as many as are of the works of the 
law, are under the curse, for it is written : Cursed 
is every one who continueth not in all things 
which are written in the book of the law to do 
them." He was not at all encouraged by his first 
attempt. An old lady present said he made a 
good prayer, but she did'nt think he would ever 
make a preacher. Of this remark he says : The 
old lady's views and mine corresponded precisely 
on that subject. And I thought if God would for- 
give my first offence of the kind, I never would 
repeat it." Shortly afterward, however, "under the 
influence of devotion, benevolence and conscience 
he determined to devote" his days to the work of 
the ministry. He was accordingly licensed by the 
Eaptist church at Wilson's Creek meeting-house, 
Mecklenburg county, Virginia, on the 15th day of 
February, 1818. This document was signed by 
William Creath, his father pastor, and William 
Pennington, an ordained preacher. 

In January, 1819, he entered the University of 
North Carolina, at Chapel Hill, and placed him- 



HISTORICAL A^jy BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 433 

self under the care of Abner W. Clopton, "who 
was a learned, good man, a physician, and a pro- 
fessor in the University." 

In the year 1820, on the 23rd of September, he 
was ordained at Mill Creek meeting-house, Cass- 
well county, North Carolina, after he had taken a 
course in Latin, Greek and English and Theology. 
In November 1821, he entered Columbia College, 
Washington, D. C, under the supervision of Wil- 
liam Staughton, D. D. In December, 1823, he left 
this institution, and again resided with his friend 
and brother Clopton, at Charlotte court-house. 
From the colleges, both in North Carolina and 
Washington City, he received testimonials of the 
highest character. During his stay in Washing- 
ton, he frequently preached for the Baptist breth- 
ren, and when he left received from them a very 
complimentary letter commending him as a 
"faithful minister, a pious and upright Christian, 
and justly entitled to the Christian esteem of the 
friends of Zion in general, and of the Baptists in 
particular. " This document was signed by 
Thomas Barton, Pastor, and Wm. Gordon, Clerk 

About the year 1824, he left Virginia, and loca- 
ted in Kentucky ; the first notice of him in that 
State, being a letter dated Franklin, Kentucky, 
December 15th, 1825, and written by Elder Phillip 
Fall, then a prominent preacher and teacher in 
Kentucky. In this letter he is offered the pastor- 
ate of the church in Louisville, Kentucky. In an- 

28 



434 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

other letter, dated Lexington, Kentucky, April Sth 
1826, lie is informed that he has been chosen with 
Elder Yardeman to supply the pulpit of Dr. Fish- 
back, during his contemplated absence. This 
communication is signed by W. T. Smith, Peter 
Hadenburg and William Poindexter. In Septem- 
ber, 1826, he received letters from the Baptist 
church at Great Crossings, in Scott county, and 
the church in Lexington, commending him to the 
faithful wherever he might travel. In October, he 
left Kentucky for a tour through the south in com- 
pany with his cousin Albert Gallatin Creath, a 
young lawyer. He bore letters of introduction 
from Colonel Richard M. Johnson and other distin- 
guished Kentuckians to General Andrew Jackson, 
at the Hermitage, whom he visited. He also vis- 
ited. He also visited Colonel Eobert Foster, the 
Lieutenant Governor and Moses Norville and 
Felix Grundy. While in Nashville he preached 
in the Baptist church. From thence he procceeded 
to Natchez, Mississippi, preaching at several 
points on the way. 

At this time the prejudice and bitterness exist- 
ing between the different sects was at its very 
height. Elder Jacob Creath was by his very 
nature an extreme man. He was born a radical. 
Whatever he believed, he believed with much 
intensity, and he advocated it with all his might, 
and handled his opponents mercilessly. His 
preaching excited such violent opposition that his 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 435 

character was assailed and he felt himself com- 
pelled to publish his ordination papers and his 
several commendations, as a vindication of himself 
from the charges of his opponents. He says : " I 
was burned in effigy at one of their camp-meet- 
ings. Meeting Dr. Line, a friend of mine, he 
asked me if I was not afraid to travel alone. I 
told him I was not. Well, said he, You ought to 
be, for be assured your life is in danger, and but 
for the protection afforded by the civil law, you 
would ei'e this, have been hung. The parties most 
enraged were Presbyterians, Methodists and Epis- 
copalians." In the year 1827, he was attacked' 
with billions or yellow fever, came near losing his 
life, and was compelled to leave the South. Early 
in the year 1828, he left New Orleans for Louis- 
ville, Kentucky, and proceeded thence to Bethany, 
Virginia. Here he visited Alexander Campbell, 
and formed an attachment for him which lasted 
throughout his life. In 1829, he preached in Ken- 
tucky with head-quarters at Versailles. Of this 
year he says : " The most remarkable event of my 
life, during that period was my trial, for heresy, 
by the congregation at Great Crossing, Scott 
county, Kentucky, then under the pastoral care of 
Silas M. JN'oel, D. D. I had preached acceptably 
to them in 1825 and 1826, as their letter to me in 
September, 1826, demonstrated. On the 17th of 
May, 1829, I received from one of their number 
the following communication : 



436 THE CHRISTIAI^^ CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

Dear Brother: — I send you the request of the 
greatest portion of the Crossings church. Their 
desire is that you will give your views of man as 
a sinner, and how the change takes place, so as to 
constitute him born again. Or in our familiar way 
as Baptists, we want your views of experimental 
religion ; how a sinner is brought from a state of 
enmity against the Savior to be a lover and wor- 
shipper of him. This request has grown partly 
from reports and partly from a number of breth- 
ren who have heard you preach since you returned 
from the South ; conceiving that you had aban- 
doned your old mode and views of preaching 
under which their hearts were many times glad- 
dened, and have sat under your ministry with 
great delight ; and we ask our divine Master to 
grant you his spirit, that you may rightly divide 
the word of Truth, giving saint and sinner his por- 
tion in due season. The above request I hope, 
brother, has arisen from the best feelings of my 
heart. I say this because it originated in my own 
breast ; seeing so many of the brethren that loved 
you as their preacher, when here before, (before 
you went South) had determined that they did not 
care to hear you any more, and, in»fact, would not 
come to a meeting, if something like this had not 
been requested. Oh, Lord, keep us from preju- 
dice, and lead us in the way of truth. 

William Suggett. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 487 

This was the beginning of the conflict in the 
Baptist churches of Kentucky, between those who 
sympathized with Alexander Campbell, in his 
views of Christianity, and those who opposed him. 
Elder Creath was probably selected by the oppo- 
sition because he was recognized as the strongest 
among those who had begun to advocate a return 
to apostolic teaching and practice. When the 
issue was made up, it was stated in the following 
words : " The main item in the indictment, was a 
denial of the direct operation of the Spirit of God 
upon the sinner's heart, previous to the exercise of 
faith upon his part, in order to produce faith." I 
took the ground, then, that the word of God is the 
grand instrumentality by which the hearts of sin- 
ners are changed, and that when the evidence of 
our Savior's Messiahship or divinity, is fully set 
forth, the human mind finds no difficulty in 
believing it asi it believes any other well sustained 
proposition, either in morals or mathematics. And 
if something has to be added to this evidence be- 
yond our own resources before we can believe and 
obey, we are nearly in the condition that we 
would have been in if God had not spoken to us at 
all." Many of those who were in full accord with 
the views here expressed, doubted the propriety of 
urging them just now, *' as the public mind was 
not sufficiently enlightened to appreciate them, 
and our enemies would handle them with great 
effect against us." Elder Creath maintained that 



438 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

liis position was true, and, said he, "If truth 
ruins us, I am willing to be ruined." 

In response to the foregoing request. Elder 
Creatli appeared at the Great Crossing, and tak- 
ing as the basis of his speech, Paul's defense 
before Agrippa and Festus, made a masterly 
effort. Some approved and applauded, but the 
greater part angrily denounced him as a heretic. 
His uncle, Jacob Creath Sr., was present, and 
endorsed as far as he conscientiously could. John 
T. Johnson, who afterwards became the great 
evangelist of the churches, was also present, and 
declared as he came out, in his emphatic way : 
" Absolutely, if they don't let that man alone, the 
stones of the street will cry out against them." 
His adoption of the views and teachings of the dis- 
ciples was probably due to the impressions made 
upon his mind at time. Indeed, he said to brother 
Creath on one occasion, "If it had, not been for 
you, I should never have been connected with the 
reformation." 

Not long after this, he met with Elder Raccoon 
John Smith, one of the strongest men in the Bap- 
tist church in the State, and on comparison of 
views on this question, they were found they were 
practically in accord. At Lexington, in 1829, the 
Elkhorn Baptist Association attempted to expel 
from fellowship those who were advocating the 
Bible alone, as their infallible standard but were 
defeated by the efforts of brother John T. Johnson, 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 489 

Dr. Joseph G. Chinn and others. This gave the 
"Reformers" another year in which to get their 
views before the people and especially before the 
brethren so that when the crisis came they were 
better understood, and had obtained a much larger 
number of sympathizers. They had also attained 
much more skill in presenting their plea. 

In the year 1830, the Elkhorn Association cut 
off Elder Jacob Creath and his uncle. The hein- 
ous offence was the preference of God's unadulter- 
ated word as "the infallible rule of faith and 
practice," to human creeds and theological sys- 
tems. The proceedings of the Association were 
violent, and such as can hardly be perceived pos- 
sible at present. From this time forward, both 
the Creaths became the bold and aggressive advo- 
cates of New Testament Christianity, without any 
of the additions or subtractions of succeeding 
ages. In September, 1831, brother Creath was 
married to Mrs. Susan Bedford, the widow of Sid- 
ney Bedford, of Bourbon county, Kentucky, and 
for some years was engaged in farming, and 
preaching on Saturdays and Lord's days. 

In the year 1834, brother Creath held a debate 
w^ith the Rev. Lewis Green, professor of ancient 
languages in the Presbyterian College at Danville, 
Kentucky. It was held at McCormick's meeting- 
house, in Lincoln county, in the month of July. 
He undertook this debate at the earnest solicita- 



440 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

tion of Ms uncle, who was really the challenged 
party. 

Those who knew brother Creath in the days of 
his strength will readily believe that his opponent 
had no easy task, and that he found in him a foe- 
man worthy of his steel. Of this debate he says : 
"Our own brethren enjoyed their triumph exceed- 
ingly." In the year 1835 he and Elder John T. 
Johnson held a remarkable meeting at Versailles, 
in Woodford county. " One hundred and forty 
persons confessed with their mouths the Lord 
Jesus, and were baptized for the remission of 
their sins." " I baptized them," said he, " in the 
Kentucky river at Sublett's Ferry, six miles from 
Versailles. The day on which the baptism took 
place was bright and comfortable. The roads 
were excellent. The river was clear as crystal. 
The water was warm and the bottom was covered 
with sand and gravel. Its bank up and down for 
some distance were lined with deeply interested 
spectators. The roads leading to it were crowded 
with wagons, carts, carriages, horsemen and foot- 
men pressing forward to witness the sublime spec- 
tacle." 

In May 1837 brother Creath visited Missouri for 
the first time, with a view to moving to the State 
if he should be pleased. From the time of his 
marriage to this date, in the midst of his active 
labors as a preacher he found time to conduct the 
operations of a large farm most successfully. In 



HISTOKICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 441 

one year he raised four thousand bushels of corn, 
and sold seventeen hundred dollars worth of live 
stock. This fact may disprove what has been so 
often asserted, that preachers have no business or 
money sense. Brother Lard was accustomed to 
say that as a class, preachers were the best finan- 
ciers in the country, since they always managed 
to make a genteel appearance and support their 
families on less money than any other class of 
men. In the fall of 1839 brother Creath moved 
from Kentucky to Missouri. His wife being in 
very feeble health, they tarried for a time with 
his father-in-law, on a farm near Lagrange, in. 
Lewis county. He then removed to a farm five 
miles north of Monticello on the Fabius river^ 
and while residing there preached in Lewis^ 
Shelby, Marion and Monroe counties. 

In the year 1840 he held meetings at Francis- 
ville on the Des Moines River at Palmyra, and in 
connection with Barton W. Stone, T. M. Allen, 
and Marcus P. Wills, one in Monroe county six 
miles from Paris. At all the meetinsrs there were 
many additions. 

In 1841 he continued to preach in the regions 
round about having removed his family into the 
town of Monticello that he might the better eda 
cate his children. In July 1841 his beloved wife 
died of consumption. He buried her according 
to her own request at Palmyra, whither he 
removed with his family in the following October^ 



442 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH IN" MISSOURI. 

In the year 1842 lie preached in Jacksonville, 
Illinois where Elders William Brown, B. W. 
Stone, John T. Jones and D. P. Henderson, were 
his co-laborers. The same winter he preached in 
' JSTew London, Frankford, Clarksville, Paynesville, 
Bowling Green, Louisiana and Hamsay's Creek. 
At all these meetings there was more or less suc- 
cess, and at one meeting thirty-five were added. 

Brother Creath was married a second time in 
March 1842 to Mrs. Prudence Rogers. To this 
wife he pays this high compliment: "Mrs. Hunt 
remarked to me on the occasion, that I had 
secured the most precious jewel for my children 
that I could have obtained in the State of Mis- 
souri. Extravagant as this compliment seems, 
an acquaintance of twenty -five years has proved 
it true." 

The winter of 1843 was spent in preaching the 
gospel in the regions round about. In January 
1844 he visited the State of Iowa and with broth- 
ers Matlock and Ross preached at Fort Madison, 
Burlington, Muscatine, Augusta, Loos' Creek, 
Keokuk, Des Moines and Fox River. To show 
how the pioneers were compensated, or rather 
to show how they were not compensated, we 
extract the following quotation in regard to this 
trip: "At the expiration of five weeks, labor- 
iously occupied, during the severest portion of an 
Iowa winter, I had realized from my labors and 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 443 

the sale of books the enormous sum of twentv-five 
or thirty dollars. 

In the spring of the year 1844 he made a three 
months tour preaching and baptizing in the 
towns on the Missouri river. In the winter he 
visited Jefferson City and conducted a meeting 
aided by Elders Wills, Allen and Joel H. Haden. 
The special object of the meeting of these dis- 
tinguished men at that time was the selection 
of a young man at the request of Alexander 
Campbell, to be educated at Bethany College, on 
the proceeds of the sale of the Christian Hymn- 
book in Missouri. Alexander Procter of Ran- 
dolph county was chosen, and had the honor to 
be the first graduate of Bethany College from the 
State of Missouri. He entered Bethany College in 
1845 and graduated with honor in the class of 
1848. In the same year Elder Creath visited his 
aged mother in Tayes Valley in old Virginia. 
"While there the Baptist Association was in ses- 
sion and at their request he preached for them. 
In January 1845, brother Creath visited St. 
Louis and preached for the few disciples that had 
been gathered there and in the following March 
moved to the city and became their pastor. 

During the summer of that year he made two 
preaching tours up the Missouri. The one termin- 
ated at Lexington, the other in Franklin county. 
In the fall of the same year, he visited and 
preached in St. Francis county in the south-east- 



444 THE CHRISTIAT^" CHURCH IX MISSOURI. 

ern part of the State. In October he accompanied 
brother A. Campbell from St. Louis to Columbia, 
Boone county, to hold a meeting. This was Mr. 
Campbell's first visit to the State, and excited 
very great interest. The brethren for many miles 
around gathered to hear him on Lord's day ; the 
audience was so vast that no house in the town 
could; accomodate them. Some idea can be 
formed of the estimate in which brother Creath 
was held when it is stated that though this was a 
State meeting and most of the preachers in the 
State were there, brother Creath divided the 
time with brother Campbell. He says ; " We 
both preached on Lord's day to very large and 
attentive congregations." Elder John Rogers of 
Kentucky attended this State meeting. 

In September 1846 brother Creath returned to 
Palmyra which has been his home up to the time 
of his death which occurred recently. In the fall 
of this year he made a tour through southern Ken- 
tucky and Tenessee, " preaching in Hopkinsville, 
Clarksville, Nashville, Cadiz, Paris, Paducah and 
other places, making many converts." In the 
spring of 1847 he made a tour to the south preach- 
ing at many points in Louisiana and Mississippi. 
While in New Orleans one lady made the confes- 
sion who was immersed by Elder Joel Prewitt of 
Fayette, Missouri, who was there on a visit to his 
children. In the year 1847 he again visited 
southern Kentucky, and during the year 1843 con- 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 445 

tinned to preach in Palmyra, and the snrronnding 
country. He also during the year visited Indiana 
and Kentucky, preaching at New Albany, Louis- 
ville, Shelby ville and other places. During this 
year he published a small volume of twenty-four 
pages entitled " A Blow at the Root of Episcopa- 
lianism." It was an answer to a small volume 
published in Palmyra by the president of St. 
Paul's College. 

In the spring of 1849 brother Creath made a 
preaching tour into Iowa, and up the Mississippi 
as far as St. Paul, Minn. He was the first 
preacher of the ''Christian church" to visit this 
region of the country. He says of this trip in 
Iowa: ''I will do the people on the Des Moines 
River in 1849, the justice to say, that they were 
the most drunken, profane, blackguard, and other- 
wise morally degraded population, that previous 
to that time I had met with." In the fall of that 
year he held a meeting at Monmouth in Illinois. 
Of this meeting he says : " Our services continued 
for three weeks, and resulted in seventy -five addi- 
tions. The services were noiseless and solemn. 
The conversions were effected not through the 
boisterous appeals to the animal nature of man, 
but through the power of Grod's word addressed 
to their understanding, conscience and heart. I 
never saw so great a change produced in any com- 
munity in twenty-one days. In this instance 
Isaiah's prediction with reference to the influence 



446 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

of gospel preachers, was remarkably verified. 
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be 
glad for them; and the desert place shall rejoice 
and blossom as a rose. It shall blossom abund- 
antly, and rejoice, even with joy and singing; 
the glory of Lebanon shall be given nnto it ; the 
excellency of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see 
the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our 
God. The people flocked to the meeting from the 
whole surrounding country ; and there seemed to 
be no limit to the number of buggies, wagons, car- 
riages, carts and horses. This is one of three 
meetings, the recollections of which I shall fondly 
cherish through life. The other two were those in 
Versailles and Madison conducted with brother 
John T. Johnson, one of the loveliest of men." 
In 1850 he labored in Palmyra, New London, 
Frankford, Houston, Lagrange, Canton and Mon- 
ticello. 

In 1851 he visited for the last time his aged 
mother in Virginia. Of his mother and this visit 
he speaks as follows ; " She was in her 77th year 
and infirm. It seemed to be understood between 
us that we would never meet again until we had 
crossed the stormy gulf, on this side the shining 
shore. We were both sustained however by 
priceless hope that — 

"Then on a green and flowery mount 
Our weary souls would sit, 
And with transporting joy recount 
The labors of our feet." 



HISTORICAL A^'D BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 447 

That then 

''Xo vain discourse -would fill our tongue, 
No trifles vex our ear; 
Infinite grace would be our song. 
And God rejoice to hear." 

I shall never forget our parting scene. As with 
her withered arms she folded me to her hearty 
while the tears flowed down her fnn^owed cheeks, 
she kissed me and exclaimed : ' The Lord bless 
yon, my son Jacob ; you have been a good son to 
me. If I never meet you on this earth again, I 
hope to meet you in the resurrection of the just.' -^ 

The year 1852 he spent as an evangelist in 
Lewis and Scotland counties ; until September 
when he again started on a journey to Kentucky, 
Mississippi and Alabama. 

In 1852 his eldest daughter Mary was married 
to William A. Corbin. The wedding for some 
reason not explained, occurred in the South, at 
the residence of his old friend, sister Graham, the 
widow of Alexander Graham. The year 1853 
was spent in preaching among the churches in the 
region round about his home, the most notable 
event of the year being the " laying of the corner 
stone " of Christian University, in connection with 
brother Shannon of the Missouri University. Dur- 
ing the year he held meetings at Linneus, Bruns- 
wick. Fayette, Columbia and at a number of 
places in the State of Illinois. 

In the year 1854 he held meetings in Monroe 



448 THE CHRISTIAI^ CHURCH IJST MISSOURI. 

county, Canton, Monticello, Newark, Columbia, 
Hoclieport, Ashland and Fayette. In the same 
year he and Elder D. P. Henderson held a great 
meeting at Middlegrove at which Elder P. Donan, 
who afterward edited his Autobiography, was 
. converted from Presbyterianism. He had been for 
many years a minister in that church. 

In the year 1855 he attended a meeting of the 
Bible Eevision Association held in St. Louis in 
the month of April. At that time he was 
employed as agent of that association, and contin- 
ued constantly in its employ for six years, or until 
Ms labors were interrupted by the civil war. 
During these six years he traveled extensively 
over the States of Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee 
and the South generally. No man was more 
faithful and conscientious in the discharge of duty 
than was brother Creath. Through heat and 
cold ; through storms and floods, he kept con- 
stantly at work. The first year of his agency 
he secured about thirteen thousand dollars in 
*'gold or its equivalent." When the war came 
on, interrupting his labors, he was in the South 
and reached home with great difficulty. He 
expressed the opinion that if it had not been for 
the Masons, he would never have reached his 
home; but they were kind and had his grateful 
thanks. 

During the dark days of the war he remained 
comparatively inactive, though he did more or less 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 449 

labor in that vicinity. After the war had pro- 
gressed for some time he ventured abroad cau- 
tiously, but in the midst of great fears and doubt 
as to his personal safety. When the war closed 
he resumed his labors in the evangelistic field, 
and traveled quite extensively, and held many 
good meetings. But as his strength began to 
fail him somewhat, he was confined to narrower 
limits, but made an occasional visit to more dis- 
tant fields. For a number of years he was too 
feeble to do more than preach an occasional ser- 
mon at home. He has recently fallen asleep in 
Jesus in his own home. 

Brother E. C. Browning, the then efficient 
pastor of the church in Palmyra has furnished the 
following : 

Brother Haley : — I could not obtain the obit- 
uary notice of brother Creath, I wrote for the 
CHRiSTiAiT-EvAN^aELiST, but have one prepared for 
the city papers of Palmyra. 

The last years of brother Creath' s life were spent 
pleasantly. To converse with him concerning 
Scripture truth, and men and things of the long 
ago, was a valued privilege. I think the natural 
austerities of his nature were somewhat softened. 
He retained his mental vigor to the last. 

Sister Creath, his senior by near two years, died 

last February. She predicted the day of her 

death. She was one of the most evenly balanced 
29 ^ 



450 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH li^ MISSOURI. 

women I ever knew; prudent, thoughtful, well 
informed, and wise. My acquaintance with 
brother Creath, led me to think no one could prop- 
erly understand his character, who ignores the 
rather "heroic^' influences surrounding Lis early 
life, being associated with men who under the rule 
of "the mother country," suffered imprisonment 
and many hardships for "preaching contrary to 
the establishment." A noticeable mental charac^ 
teristic was that he always viewed any given sub- 
ject from the same angle. He was from the neces- 
sity of the case a one sided man. I have had 
data from which to give some facts that might be 
useful to you, but they are not now at hand. 
Brother C. left a mass of manuscript that he de- 
signed as a basis for a biography, but I don't 
think it will be written; indeed don't think it 
ought to be. God knows how to record brother 
Creath's life, with proper regard to motives; but 
man can not do it. Brother 'Donan's memoirs of 
Creath, should never have been written, nor do I 
think a true history would do good. Whatever 
your work may contain, I think will be the legacy 
of the church as to his work ; and I don't think 
more will be needed. 

Wishing you God- speed in all your work ; I am 
truly yours for the truth, 

E. C. BROWNiNa. 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 451 
ELDER JACOB CREATH. 

This remarkable man, a devoted Cliristian and 
eminent preacher, passed away calmly, early Sat- 
urday morning, January 8th, 1886, wanting only 
eight days of completing his eighty-seventh year. 
He was born in Mecklenburg county, Virginia, 
January 17th, 1799. His father was a Baptist 
minister of the '"Old School," a man of fine intel- 
lect, deep piety, impressive address, and a dili- 
gent student of God's word. His mother's maiden 
name was Lucretia Brame, a devoted and deeply 
pious woman. They had nine sons, of whom five 
became ministers of the gospel. 

The subject of this sketch was the second son. 
He began his career as a Baptist minister of the 
" Old School," in the year 1817, in which capacity 
he worked with his uncle, Jacob Creath, Sen., 
until the year '29 or '30, when they became fully 
identified with the reformatoiy eff'ort of A. Camp- 
bell, and others, with whose teachings they had 
come into full sympathy. Brother Creath was 
remarkable for his energy, the extraordinary 
sweep of his memory over the pages of Biblical 
and historical lore, for his fervent piety, and for 
his boldness in advocating and defending what he 
believed to be right. He came to Missouri in 1839, 
residing for a time in Lewis county. The first rec- 
ord I find of his preaching in Palmyra, was in 
1841, since which time he has been intimately 



452 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

associated with its religious history. He planted 
the churches in Hannibal, Palmyra, New London, 
Monticelio, and largely built up the churches at 
LaGrange, Canton, Shelbyville, and various other 
points in northeast Missouri. His life may be 
described as " in labors abundant, in journeyings 
often, in j^erils of river, in the perils of the wilder- 
ness, in watching, in hunger and thirst, in fast- 
ings, in cold." To recount his labors or represent 
his character in any adequate manner, would far 
transcend the limits of this notice. He retained 
his powers of mind in a remarkable degree to the 
last, his memory furnishing an almost inexhausti- 
ble store of Biblical and historical knowledge. 
His last public effort was only a few weeks before 
his death, in an inimitable discourse on the influ- 
ence of pious mothers, richly illustrated with his- 
toric references. Brother Creath leaves two 
daughters, Mrs. Lucy Smith, of this city, and Mrs. 
Elizabeth Downing, of Bowling Green, Mo., and 
his aged wife, of this place, a few months his se- 
nior, one of the most pious, devoted, clear-minded 
and evenly balanced Christian women ever known. 
May God bless them. B. 

Brother Creath, whose history we have now so 
briefly sketched, was a very remarkable man in 
many respects. He was about six feet in height, 
and very strongly and compactly built. He evi- 
dently had a powerful physical constitution. His 
hair was brown, his eyes were gray ; his complex- 



HISTORICAL A^B BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 45B 

ion florid. His voice was strong and clear. His 
sentences were short and weighty. He was logi- 
cal and systematic in Ms discourses, tender and 
pathetic in exhortation. He was a man of strong 
passions and prejudices. He loved his friends 
intensely ; they had no faults. If he did not hate 
his enemies, it was always quite evident that he 
did not love them, without effort. There are many 
anecdotes related of him which will better illus- 
trate his character than anything else. He was 
easily disturbed and annoyed when sx^eaking, and 
often reproved severely those who annoyed him. 
On one occasion, he observed a man smiling fre- 
quently, as he listened to his discourse. At last 
he paused and said : *'Sir, is my discourse so 
ridiculous that you can do nothing but sit there 
and grin at me ?" The poor man was completely 
crushed, and after meeting, sought an interview, 
and explained that he was in perfect accord with 
the speaker, and was so delighted to have his 
neighbors hear the truth so plainly told, that he 
was smiling unconsciously. Brother Creath was of 
course greatly touched, and made an humble apol- 
ogy- 

On another occasion, he had been annoyed by 
persons getting up and going out of the house 
while he was speaking. The pulpit was between 
the doors in the front of the church, and the retir- 
ing persons must needs pass by him. On this 
occasion an awkward, but impudent young coun- 



454 THE CHEISTIA]^ CIIUKCH IN MISSOURI. 

trymaii rose up and started out. Brother Creath 
paused and said: "Young man, I'll wait till you 
get out of the house." The impudent fellow 
paused, leaned himself against one of the posts 
and said : "Well, yoa'll wait a good while then." 
Of course the speaker was badly beaten. 

Many of his old friends will remember his fine 
grey horse, Jack, to which he was greatly attach- 
ed. He was very particular about having Jack 
well cared for. On one occasion, he drove up to 
my house. I met him at the front gate, and called 
a boy to take his horse. He held the bridle till the 
boy came, looked him over, and then said: "Boy, 
do you know how to feed a horse?" "Yes sir," 
said the lad promptly. Turning to me he said: 
"Brother Haley, I wish you would see my horse 
fed ; I have had him fed on ' Yes sir ' all over the 
the State of Missouri." On one occasion he 
stopped with a brother in a village, who sent his 
horse to the tavern stable. The tavern was kept 
by a sister well known by brotlier Creath. He 
took the liberty of sending over soon to ask if 
Jack had been watered ; then to see if he had had 
hay in the proper quantity ; then to see how he 
had been supplied with grain. The lady some- 
what annoyed, said : " Go tell tell brother Creath 
that I have done everything for his horse that I 
can think of, except to give him a cup of coffee, 
and I am getting that ready." He took the hint. 
All who were acquainted with him will remember 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 455 

Ms prayers. While he was a great preacher, he 
was simply without a peer in his prayers. This 
was, no doubt, because he " prayed without ceas- 
ing." It is said that on one occasion, during the 
war, a company of troops were hanging about the 
town of Palmyra, with a view to capture and des- 
troy the town. On one occasion brother Creath 
had gone out to the grove in which he was accus- 
tomed to pray. While he was praying, the leader 
of the troop happened to be near and heard a 
voice as if pleading with some one, and approach- 
ing, he saw this venerable man, bowed to the 
earth, and heard him pleading with his God for 
his neighbors, his town, his country, and above all 
for peace. It is said the rough soldier was so 
impressed, that he withdrew his troops and retired 
from the county, without making the contempla- 
ted attack. The last prayer I ever heard him 
make was in my own house, and I shall never for- 
get it. I have never heard any man pray as Jacob 
Creath could pray. 



456 THE CHRISTIAIT CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

CHAPTER XXYII. 

JAMES SHANNOlSr, LL. D. 

" One of our most eminent men was born in the 
north of Ireland on the 22d day of April, 1799. 
From childhood, his parents who were truly pious, 
instructed him in the truths of Grod's word, and at 
a very early period in life, they made a deep im- 
pression on his heart. At the age of thirteen years 
he resolved to devote his life to the proclamation 
of the gospel, and immediately commenced a lab- 
orious preparation for the work. He entered the 
Royal Institution of Belfast, Ireland, in the fall of 
A. D. 1815, graduated in May, A. D. 1818, and 
completed his Theological course in A. D. 1820. 
The next fifteen months of his life he spent as 
"First Assistant" in the "Antrim Academy." 
While thus occupied, he accepted the rectorship 
of an Academy in the United States, located at 
Sunbury, Georgia. There for the first time he wit- 
nessed a baptism by immersion, and soon began 
to doubt the validity of his own. Deeply realiz- 
ing the truth, that we cannot retain God's favor 
without sincerely endeavoring to know and do our 
whole duty, he at once entered upon a thorough 
examination of that subject. At the close of it he 
was immersed, and became a member of the Bap- 
tist church. This occurred in the spring of A. D. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 457 

1823. In April, A. D. 1824, he became pastor of 
the Augusta Baptist congregation, as successor to 
William T. Brantley, D. D. During the following 
winter, a revival commenced through his instru 
mentality, extended throughout the State, and 
resulted in ten thousand additions to his adopted 
church. In January, A. D. 1830, he was appoin- 
ted Professor of Ancient Languages^ in the State 
University at Athens. Thence he was called in 
the fall of A. D. 1835, to the Presidency of the 
College at Louisiana, at Jackson. In A. D. 1840, 
he became the President of Bacon College, at Har- 
rodsburg, Kentucky. 

Uniformly acting on the principle of proving all 
things, and holding fast that which is good, he 
had no sooner connected himself with the Bap- 
tists, than he began to subject their tenets to the 
most rigid scrutiny, and to point out at their asso- 
ciations and other large meetings, wherein they 
differed from the word of God. At their State 
Convention held in Morgan county, A. D. 1834, he 
spent an hour and a half, in endeavoring to con- 
vince a congregation of five or six thousand peo- 
ple, that according to the terms of the only com- 
mission under which they considered themselves 
authorized to preach the gospel, as recorded in 
Mark 16th chapter and 16th verse, they had no 
more right to offer men salvation on the ground of 
faith, without baptism, than on that of baptism 
without faith; and that to disjoin what God had 



458 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

SO expressly united was, to the highest degree 
impious. The substance of this discourse was 
afterwards published in the " Christian Preacher," 
under the title " How to be saved." 

Not being allowed by the Baptists of Louisiana 
the same religious freedom which had been cheer- 
fully accorded to him in Georgia, he was " com- 
pelled in A. D. 1836, to organize a congregation 
on the principle of making the word of God alone 
the rule of faith and practice." In A. D. 1850, he 
exchanged the Presidency of Bacon College for 
that of the University of Missouri. During his 
connection with the latter its patronage was more 
than doubled. The former, though unendowed, was 
sustained for ten years, mainly through his influ- 
ence. Upon his removal the trustees relinquished 
its collegiate organization. Though unanimously 
re-elected to the presidency of Missouri University 
in A. D. 1856, he could not conscientiously accept 
the situation in consequence of some restrictions 
in regard to their religious privileges, under which 
its officers had been placed by the preceding Leg- 
islature. The Board of Trustees then passed a ser- 
ies of highly complimentary resolutions, and con- 
ferred upon him the honorary title of LL. D. He 
had been previously honored by that of D. D., by 
the University of Georgia. With such antece- 
dents, had his life been spared, his high intellect- 
ual and moral endowments and elegant accom 
plishments would have justified the most brilliant 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 459 

anticipation on the part of his friends ; not only 
with reference to his own future, but also that of 
the Institution over which for some years previous 
to his death, he had the honor of presiding." 



460 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

RALLS COUNTY. 

Through the kindness of Elder Jacob Huglej, 
who spent several years in New London, as the 
pastor of the church there, I have been furnished 
with the following sketches : 

Olivet Qhurch, formerly known as Sugar Creek, 
Canton Township, was organized A. D. 1830, at 
the house of Francis Sudduth. Elder George 
Waters came from Tennessee, in 1829, and had 
preached for a time for the few families of disci- 
ples in the settlement. The result was the organ- 
ization above named. In the year 1833 Elder 
Thomas McBride preached for a time in the settle- 
ment, from house to house and in the groves. 
Elder John Shulle, from Kentucky, preached in A. 
D. 1833 and 1834. Elder Timothy Ford visited 
the congregation frequently, and preached and 
taught sacred music from 1838 to 1848. The first 
protracted meeting was held during the cold win- 
ter of 1842, and '43, by Elder Jacob Creath. This 
meeting was held at private houses. There were 
other preachers passing through, who preached 
more or less. In A. D. 1849 and '50, the means 
were secured, and the church and school district, 
conjointly, built a house of suitable size for the 
double use of church and school-house. For 
twenty-one years Sugar Creek church met in this 



HISTORICAL A^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 461 

house and these were her " palmy days." In 1851 
or '52, Elder Levan held a protracted meeting here 
which resulted in a great ingathering. Elder 
Leroy Hatchett had previously held successful 
meetings. During the twenty one years, in which 
the church worshipped in the school-house, many 
interesting and successful meetings were held. Dr. 
W. H. Hopson, Elder L. B. Wilkes, Elder Jacob 
Coons, Alpheus Brown, S. P. Johnson, Cortes 
Jackson, Dr. Hatch, S. P. Lucy and his father, 
Elder G. H. Laughlin and Dr. W. D. Jordan were 
among those who held meetings of greater or less 
continuance. 

In A. D. 1871, the new church building was 
completed and the "dedication services" were 
held by Dr. J. K,. Lucas. Being located on the 
prairie, and distant from Sugar Creek, the name 
was changed to Olivet. At the same time a large 
portion of the membership living some distance 
awaj^ to the south, built a house of worship, and 
organized as Hayes' Creek. Shortly afterwards 
the members on the North, having found the dis- 
stance great and the streams often in the way, 
also organized and built a house of worship, and 
called it Ariel. Still the motherly wings of Olivet 
extended over her children to a considerable dis- 
tance to the northeast and southwest. So in A. D. 
1882, an organization was formed near Spalding, 
and a house was built in which now m'eets a pros- 
perous church. To the southwest, preparations 



462 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

are being made for still another clmrch in which, 
the children of Olivet will have a large part. 
Just how many left Olivet, to constitute other 
churches, I can not say, probably one half the 
membership. Not one one of the charter members 
survives. Brother Coons is nearest ; he came in 
1835. 

Elder George Waters preached till 1869, but did 
not live to see the new church-house built. Our 
house is sixty feet by forty feet, with a twenty- 
one foot ceiling, and cost $4,500. The above is 
written from personal memory and information 
furnished by brother J. C. Briggs. 

Respectfully, yours in Christ, 

G. W. Waters. 

List of preachers who have ministered to 
the Olivet Congreoation : — 1829 to 1869, 
George Waters; 1835 ff> 1840, Sandy E. Jones; 
1833 to 1834, Thomas McBride ; 1833 to 1834, 
John Shulse; 1840 to 1844, Elder Fruit; 1838 to 
1848, Timothy Ford; 1846, Greenup Jackman; 
1842 to 1845, Elder Jacob Creath ; 1850 to 1851, 
Elder Robert Levan ; 1846 to 1852, Livy Hatchett ; 
1846 to 1852 ; Leroy Hatchett; 1855-6, Dr. W. H. 
Hopson; 1856-8, Jacob Coons; 1859-62, Alpheus 
Brown; 1866-67, Cortes Jackson; 1869, George 
Clark; Dr. William Hatch; 1869 to 1871, Elder 
Samuel P. Johnson; 1872 to 1874, Dr. J. K Lucas; 
1877 to 1878 Jacob Hugley; 1879, J. H. Thomas i 



HISTORICAL AND BIOaRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 463 

1880, W. T. Sallee ; 1881-82, J. H. Cooke ; 1884, 
John B. Corwine ; 1885, E. R. Childers ; 1886, W. 
T. Sallee. 

In the year 1835 or '36, Elder Eastham Ballin- 
ger preached for the congregation. 

In the year 1866 and '67, Elder Alfred Wilson, 
of Paris, and Dr. Clayton Keith, held a protracted 
meeting. In 1885, Elder J. H. Hardin held a suc- 
cessful meeting. In 1881, Elder A. C. Walker 
held a meeting. '^ W. 

Lick Creek Cliurcli^ was organized by Elder 
Henry Thomas, of Paris, in the year 1844. The 
regular preachers of the church have been Elders 
McSwain, Martin Sidenor, Timothy Ford, Fruit, G. 
Waters dedicated the church. J. J. Errett, Jacob 
Coons, W. H. Hopson, A. Brown, P. Donan, W. 
M. Feathers ton, A. H. Rice, John A. Brooks, 
Jacob Hugley, W. H. Hook, W. T. Henson, and E. 
B. Redd. William Bigger s has been an elder for 
forty one years. Alfred Menefee for many years. 
We have a membership of about two hundred and 
fifty. We have always lived in peace. 

JoHi^ Westeall. 

Perry, February 27tJi, 1886. 

Hayes^ Creek CTiurcTi, was first organized June 
18th, 1843, by Elder Timothy Ford and George 
Waters, with nine members. No elders or dea- 
cons were chosen at the time. J. L. Alford was 



464 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

appointed clerk. We met for worship in a school- 
iLOUse, and in private houses. We had the labors 
of various preachers from time to time whom I 
will try to mention, many of them giving us only 
a passing call. Brothers Timothy Ford, and G. 
Waters were the regular preachers from the time 
of the organization up to the year 1849, making 
some six years of labor. The next two jesivs 
there was a halt in church work; some of the 
members going to California to mine for gold (and 
among the number one of the preachers). After 
brother Timothy Ford returned from California, in 
1857, he commenced he labors for us again, and 
continued until 1859 ; about eight years. 

In April, 1859, brother Alpheus Brown commen- 
ced preaching for us, and continued his labors 
until the war between the States broke out, when 
our congregation was scattered to the four winds ; 
b)ut few members remaining. Nothing much was 
done until 1869. By this time quite a number of 
brethren had moved into the neighborhood from 
other parts of the country. In the fall of 1869 
brother Samuel P. Johnson, then of New London, 
Mo., sent an appointment to the neighborhood. 
The meeting included the 5th Lord's day in Oct- 
ober and the first Lord's day in November. 
We procured the Baptist meeting-house. The 
brethren went into this meeting with a zeal 
and earnestness that will always warrant success. 
The meeting closed with thirty additions ; sixteen 



HISTORICAL ATTD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 465 

from the Baptists, in whose house the meeting 
was held. At their next meeting, they closed 
their house against us. At the close of the meet- 
ing November 9th, 1869, brother Johnson officiat- 
ing, the church was reorganized with fifty seven 
members. James L. Alford, Thomson Alford and 
Isaac Rowland were appointed elders, and James 
M. Rowland and George W. Payne were appointed 
deacons. On the 2d Lord's day in September, 
1875, these elders resigned, having served nearly 
six years. At the same time, Edmund Alford and 
W. B. Beshears were appointed elders. The first 
Lord's day in May, 1876, M. W. Parker was 
added to the eldership. Isaac IS'eal was added to 
the list of deacons, being made also clerk.' In 
1877, E. Alford resigned, Isaac Rowland taking 
his place. In 1884, W. B. Beshears resigned his 
eldership, having served nearly nine years. J. L. 
Alford was elected to fill his place. The officers 
of the church at present are : 

James L. Alford, Isaac Rowland and M. W. 
Parker, elders ; and Isaac Neal, G. W. Payne, 
deacons. Whole number of names enrolled on the 
church book is two hundred and thirteen; our 
present membership is sixty four. Brother S. P. 
Johnson preached for us in 1870 the entire year. 
Brother Henry Branstetter preached for us two 
years, 1871 and 1872. W. J. Mason in 1873. In 
October of this year brother Timothy Ford assis- 
ted brother Mason in a meeting of ten days, when 

30 



466 THE CHRISTIATT CHURCH Ijq- MISSOURI. 

fourteen were added. Brothers Ford and Mason 
both labored for us in 1874. Brother W. H. Hook 
preached for us three or four years (dates lost). 
W. T. Sallee preached four months, in 1880, when 
we suspended preaching to have our house 
reseated. He preached for us again in 1881. 
Brother Corwine in 1882 and '83 and a part of '84 ; 
when he removed. E. R,. Childers filled out 
brother Corwine's time. T. A. McPherson preach- 
ed a few months for us in 1885. I will now name 
other preachers who have visited us ; some of them 
holding good meetings. These visits have been 
all along the time of our existence as a church. 
Elders Jacob Creath, T. M. Allen, W. H. Hopson, 
Fruit, Livy Hatchitt, Leroy Hatchitt, Greenup 
Jackman, Knox, Warren, Hall, Charles Levan, E. 
M. Handel, G. H. Laughlin, J. J. Errett, B. C. Ste- 
phens, G. A. Hoffman, Jacob Hugley, Dr. J. R. 
Lucas, Henry Davis, J. A. Brooks, W. S. Patter- 
son, J. C. Reynolds, J. W. Monser. 

Our meeting house cost about $1,700, and was 
erected in 1870. There may be some inaccuracies 
in the above, but they will amount to nothing. 
The statements are correct; when no dates are 
given, I have written from memory. 
Yours in hope, 

J. L. Alford. 

MadisonviUe, February 25th^ 1886. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 467 
SALT CREEK. 

The church of Christ at Salt Creek, Ralls 
county, Mo., was organized October 29th, 1836, by 
Elder S. E. Jones, at the residence of Roland 
Keithley. The names of the charter members 
were : Jacob Rowland, Nancy Rowland, Roland 
Kiethly, Harriet Kiethly, Thomas Bowles, Eliza- 
beth Bowles, Henley Hayden, Frances Shehoney, 
James Shehoney, Clarissa Shehoney, John Bar- 
nard, Frances Fuqua, Davis brothers, Hannah 
Hostetter. Thomas Bowles and Henley Haden 
were the first elders. James Glasscock and James 
Fuqua were subsequently also elected elders, and 
acted in that capacity up to the time of their 
death. Subsequently Matt. F. Buchanan and 
G-eorge R. Thompkins were elected and are still in 
office. The following ministers have served the 
church since its organization : 

Sandy E. Jones, J. P. Lancaster, Greenup Jack- 
man, L. Hatchitt, J. J. Errett, Jacob Creath, G. 
Waters, Timothy Ford, L. B. Wilkes, W. H. Hop- 
son, H. Thomas, S. P. Johnson, W. S. Patterson, 
Jacob Hugley, R. L. Lotz, H. F. Davis, brother 
Cook, John B. Corwine and brother Catch. 

Yours, Matt. F. Buchanan. 

Ariel Church was organized in the spring of 
1871, by Elder Samuel P. Johnson. Its regular 
preachers have been as follows : S. P. Johnson, 
H. F. Davis, W. G. Surber, J. D. Dillard, W. T. 
Sallee. This note is furnished by H. F. Davip 



468 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

MARION COUNTY. 

I have foaiid it nearly impossible to secure any- 
thing of the early history of the church in this 
county, having actually failed to get a word of 
information from any of the present membership. 
The following meager facts I have gathered from 
the memoirs of brother Creath, and church news 
published in different periodical, supplemented by 
the little I knew personally, of our cause there in 
an early day. 

Brother Creath says : " In th.e latter part of 
October, 1841, I changed my place of residence to 
Palmyra, Mo., and continued to preach in the sur- 
rounding counties. I planted our church in Han- 
nibal, New London, and St. Louis. I commenced 
my labors in Hannibal in the month of January, 
1842. The weather was intensely cold ; our place 
of worship was an old log out-house, with no 
seats, no fire-place, and a loose puncheon floor. 
My hearers were all men, and yet while standing 
and hearing "the word" they trembled like an 
aspen leaf. At that time we had but one member 
in the town. That was sister Bowen, the daughter 
of Barton W. Stone, who inherited a large portion 
of her father's loveliness. On one occasion in 
Hannibal, I preached in the lower story of an old 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 469 

house, while in the upper part of it they were dan- 
cing and fiddling." In brother Allen's diary for 
1842, May 18th, Wednesday, we went to Hannibal 
on the Mississippi River, to see our relatives, cous- 
ins, S. A. Bowen and family ; we reached their 
kind mansion late in the evening. It rained very 
hard to-day. 20th. Another day's rain. I spoke 
at night to a small congregation. 21st. Started 
for Palmyra; Cousin Amanda Bowen with us. 
Met brother J. Creath, Jr., and brother Morton in 
Palmyra. There was a large congregation in 
attendance. I addressed then in the morning and 
evening. 22d. 4th Lord's day. A vast crowd, 
more than could get in the court-house. I spoke 
twice again to-day. Brother Creath spoke at 3 
o'clock p. M. while attending to the Lord's Supper. 
23d. Monday. I spoke again to a crowded house at 
11 o'clock A. M. The celebrated Dr. Ezra Styles 
was with us and spoke to a good congregation at 
3 o'clock p. M. He was very friendly. I addressed 
a crowded house again at night. We had seven 
additions ; three by letter and four by confession 
and baptism. The congregations were large and 
attentive throughout. The " Sects " of the place 
were generally in attendance and seemed much 
pleased. I shall ever remember with affection the 
kindness and friendship shown me by the citizens 
of Palmyra and vicinity. If it were not invidious 
I would mention brothers Creath, Sallee, Errett, 
Young, Peaks, General Curd and Judge Allen. 



470 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH IIT MISSOURI. 

But all, all were truly kind and as friendly as 
they could be." In Ms journal for 1843, July 20th, 
brother Allen says : " Becca, myself and Spotts- 
wood Russel started for Palmyra ; crossed the 
Grand prairie, and spent the night with Dr. Cun- 
ningham in Paris. 21st. Set out and reached Pal- 
myra late in the evening. Stopped with old sister 
Curd. 22d. Met a large congregation at Palmyra. 
Brother Creath present. I spoke twice to-day 
23d, 4th Lord's day. I spoke, and brother Creath, 
once to-day ; very numerous assembly. 24th and 
25th. I spoke twice each day in Palmyra. Con- 
gregations still good. Two made the good confes- 
sion, and were immersed. Brother Hatchett pres- 
ent during the meeting. The brethren were kind 
and attentive and engaged as usual. 26th. Wed. 
nesday. "We left Hannibal accompanied by Gen- 
eral Curd and lady ; I spoke at noon and candle- 
light. 27th. I spoke at 11 a. m. Two united by 
letter, and one made the good confession. Brother 
Morton (the Doctor), was with me." It will thus 
be seen, that as early as the year 1842, there were 
congregations in both Hannibal and Palmyra. 
Soon after the organization of the church at Han- 
nibal, Dr. David T. Morton, of the celebrated 
Kentucky family, located there and commenced 
the practice of medicine. He was an elder before 
coming to Missouri, and was at once made elder of 
the congregation there. He magnified his office. 
He was a man of fine sense and liberal education. 



HISTORICAL AIS^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 471 

He was an easy and graceful speaker. For a 
number of years the church in Hannibal did not 
feel the need of any other minister, since Dr. Mor- 
ton preached the gospel, baptized the converts and 
was pastor of the flock. When his practice be- 
came so large that he did not feel himself equal to 
the preaching and the care of the congregation, 
they proposed to employ a preacher, but it was 
distinctly stipulated that the preacher should be 
the evangelist of the church, and should have 
nothing whatever to do with the disciplinary over 
sight of the membership. After a few years the 
congregation erected a comfortable brick church 
which they occupied till after the war. As early 
as the year 1850, it was one of the most promising 
churches in the State. It was about that time 
Dr. W. H. Hopson held a debate with Rev. W. G. 
Caples there, the baptismal question being the 
issue. After the church began to employ a 
preacher regularly, brother L. B. Wilkes was 
chosen pastor and resided there and preached for 
them for a number of years. Subsequent to the 
war Dr. J. R. Lucas, H. H. Haley and G. B. Edgar 
were each for a time pastor. Brother J. H. Har- 
din is now the efficient and popular pastor. Since 
the war they disposed of their old church property 
and purchased the convenient and commodious 
house which they now occupy. Of the early mem- 
bership I recall the names of Mrs. Bowen and fam- 
ily ; Judge Grore and family ; Dr. David T. Morton 



472 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH m MISSOURI. 

and family; Captain A. S. Robards and family^ 
Brother Smith, father of Mrs. Morton, and his fam- 
ily. Of the later membership I recall the names 
of Daniel M. Dulaney and family ; William H. 
Dulaney and family ; Humphrey Mc Yey and fam- 
ily ; Thomas Hixon and family ; Robert Bridge- 
ford (now dead) and his family ; brothers Gana- 
way and Johnson, with many others that might be 
mentioned, equally faithful and zealous for the 
cause of primitive Christianity. 

Palmyra church has been known for nearly 
fifty years as the home of that eminent servant of 
God, Elder Jacob Creath. This fact alone would 
have made Palmyra famous; but they have al- 
ways had a good strong membership of the very 
best citizens of the community. Brother Lewis 
Bryan, father of Mrs. L. B. Wilkes, a most admira- 
ble man, resided tliere for a great number of years 
prior to his death, and was a pillar in the church. 
He has left a most worthy representative in his 
son, brother Thomas Bryan, who resides on the 
old homestead. About the year 1852, Br. W. H. 
Hopson and Mrs. Hopson established a first class 
female school in Palmyra ; and during its continu- 
ance Dr. Hopson preached for the church there. 
The Doctor had as an assistant for a time Elder 
L. B. Wilkes, who frequently preached for them. 
Brother James A. Meng also taught in this insti- 
tution for a time. Elder John Lindsey of Illi- 
nois, was also at one time the preacher of this con- 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 473 

gregation. In later years elder P. Donan resided 
there, and for sometime past tliey have had the 
services of the very faithful and efficient E. C. 
Browning, who is known and highly esteemed for 
his work's sake, throughout northeast Missouri. 

Mount ZioTi, a church organized many years 
ago, in the country, midway between Hannibal 
and Palmyra. To this church Dr. Hopson, L. B. 
Wilkes, Dr. D. T. Morton and Elder Jacob Creath 
often preached in the long ago. For many years 
now brother James IS". Wright, of Macon City, has 
been their preacher. 

Houston, in the northeastern part of the county, 
is also one of the old congregations. It was built 
up largely through the labors of Elder Ballinger, 
but he was assisted at different times by nearly 
all the ministers who labored in that part of the 
State. In church news published in the Millen- 
nial Harbinger, I find that Elder Henry Thomas, 
of Paris, at one time, held a most successful meet- 
ing there. It was, I think, in the neighborhood of 
this congregation and under the preaching of 
Elder Jacob Creath, that the late President Joseph 
K. Rogers was led to Christ. He was baptized by 
Elder Eastham Ballinger. 



474 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

CHAPTEE XXX. 

ST. LOUIS. 

Forty eight years ago, and only seven could be 
found in the city who claimed the honors, privil- 
eges and distinctions of the " Christian church." 
These seven were organized in a congregation. For 
a. time this little " bud of promise " gave evidence 
of a long life and great usefulness. Though 
few in number, obscure in influence, and pow- 
erless in pecuniary ability they felt "strong 
in the Lord and in the power of his might." 
Every Lord's day would find them in some 
private dwelling, singing praises to God, offer- 
ing the sacrifices of glowing and thankful hearts, 
and commemorating a Savior's love to fallen 
man. Death however soon visited the faithful 
little band and one or two removed from the city. 
Thus disease racked the little body ; it sickened, 
gasped and died. (I here quote from remnants of 
records, in possession of brother William Gr. Fife, 
which he kindly loaned me for this occasion). 

" On the 18th of February, 1837, a congregation 
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was founded 
in St. Louis. They continued to assemble them- 
selves together in peace and harmony (although 
their number was small) for a length of time at 
least, until their number was so diminished by re- 
moval of its members from the city, by death, and 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 475 

otherwise tliat tliey soon ceased to meet together." 

This little band worshipped in the Sheppard 
school-house on Fourth St. opposite the court 
house, brother Robert B. Fife being the leading 
spirit of this feeble church, as he ever was in all 
activity that gave promise of building up the 
cause of Christ and doing good to his fellowmen, 
especially the household of faith, and it was ever 
thus with him, even unto the end of his long and 
useful life. 

(1839) The remnant of the church of 1837, some 
two or three in number, worshiped with the Bap- 
tists, meeting at the northwest corner of 3d and 
Chestnut streets. My parents came to the city in 
1839, and I remember attending church and Sun- 
day-school at this place for about one year. The 
accession to the Disciples of Christ (as they loved 
to call themselves) now making their number some 
seven or eight, brother Robert B. Fife urged that, 
they meet together at their own houses on the 
Lord's day for prayer, praise, exhortation and cel- 
ebration of the Lord's Supper. This plan was 
adopted. 

I ^now again quote from the fugitive leaf, from 
a record kept by brother William G. Fife. 

(1842) " Reorganization of the church of Christ 
in St. Louis, on the fourth Lord's day in February, 
A. D. 1842 ; brothers Robert B. Fife, John M. Boyd 
and Esrom Owens, the only remaining members of 
the old congregation, having previously acertained 



476 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH 11^ MISSOURI. 

that there were a number of brethren and sisters 
in the city, invited them to meet together on the 
above named day, at the house of brother Robert 
B. Fife. Quite a number attended the meeting 
although, comparatively speaking, strangers, yet 
they recognized each other as Christians, joined 
together in the bonds of Christian love and fellow- 
ship. Almost every countenance seemed to speak 
the feelings of the heart within and the pleasure 
it enjoyed in communing with so many Christians 
whom they had never seen before. After uniting 
in solemn prayer and praise to Almighty God, the 
meeting was organized by calling brother Robert 
B. Fife to preside. There being so few brethren 
present, it did not appear expedient at that 
time to choose officers. Whereupon brother R. B. 
Fife addressed the meeting and invited the disci- 
ples present who had letters to present them, and 
.unite with the congregation and those who had 
none were respectfully invited to fellowship with 
them until they could procure letters from the sev- 
eral churches of which they were formerly mem- 
bers. Thus again was the banner unfurled to the 
breeze, emblazoned on its folds the characteristics 
of our religion : " Christ our King. The Bible our 
only rule of faith and practice." 

During this period the church depended on 
brother R. B. Fife for leadership. The preachers 
who from time to time visited the church in 1842, 
'43 and '44, held meetings and brought many into 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 477 

the churcli, were brothers D. P. Henderson, David 
Henry, William Brown, Samuel Kogers and Jos- 
eph Patton. The church had secured the Wain- 
wright schoolhouse, situated on Morgan, west of 
6th street. I now quote again from the leaf of the 
record previously mentioned. (1843) " At a meet- 
ing of the disciples on Lord's day, the 30th of Jan- 
uary, A. D. 1843, the following officersweie duly 
elected to serve a period of six months : Robert B. 
Fife, elder; Esrom Owens, deacon; John Hall, dea- 
con ; William G. Fife, clerk." 

There were grand meetings in the Wainwright 
school-house. I have known many to bring their 
dinner there, being unable to attend three ser- 
vices ; morning preaching, afternoon the Lord's 
Supper and preaching again in the evening ; this 
being the order of services. The afternoon of 
Lord's day was devoted to the celebration of the 
Lord's Supper as late as 1852 or '53. The propo- 
sition to have it follow the morning service met 
with much opposition ; many feeling that such an 
arrangement, lowered the dignity and importance 
of the occasion. It was, however, finally tried, and 
has so continued. The church out-grew the school 
house, and secured a hall on the northeast corner 
of Pine and 3d streets. Here brother Benj. Skeen 
Sr., was added to the eldership, dividing the lab- 
ors with brother Fife. The church grew in grace 
and in the knowledge of the truth, aiid became so 
strong financially, they bought a lot on the north- 



478 THE CHEISTIA]^ CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

east corner of 6th and Franklin avenue upon 
which they built a modest frame house. What a 
chord of love must have bound together those meek 
disciples of Christ, as they pushed on the glories 
of the cross ! Shunned by the opulent, i3corned by 
the fashionable, destitute of a minister, they had 
but little to expect from the world. But alone and 
unaided, if we except the God of their hopes and 
consolation, who was ever so near and ready to 
assist, they breasted the storm, and by still 
greater sacrifices determined to advance. Here 
the church was ministered to by Dr. W. H. Hop- 
son, then in the strength arid fire of his youth, and 
on many occasions the house would not hold the 
people who desired to hear. The doctor was fol- 
lowed by the now venerable Jacob Creath, Jr. 
During the ministration of these giants of Israel 
many were brought to a knowledge of the truth- 
and obeyed the Savior in baptism. 

The prominent members in the church at this 
time were Robert B. Fife, Benj. Skeen, R. C. Weir, 
rick, Jonathan Jones, George A. Kerr, William G. 
Fife, James T. Fatten, Chas. Stewart. The growth 
of the church was such that more commodious 
quarters were needed. A lot was purchased on 
5th St. west side, north of Franklin avenue, and a 
church building of brick, of two stories, commen- 
ced ; the first story being completed, so the church 
could meet therein; in the meantime, they sold 
their property (lease) on 6th and Franklin avenue. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOaRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 479 

Brotlier Joseph S. Patton was now employed by 
the year at $600 per annum, and was the first pas- 
tor called by the year, to give his whole time to 
the church. Brother Patton served the church for 
two years, and then resigned on account of ill 
health. He was followed by Samuel S. Church, of 
Illinois. In '51 or '52, the church determined to 
complete the building, brothers William Rum- 
bold and George W. Davis doing the work; the 
contract being for $16,000. (Before the engage- 
ment of brother Joseph S. Patton, the church had 
employed brother Dr. Hopson, and paid his board 
which was equivalent to a certain stipulated sum, 
to preach for us during the time he attended medi- 
cal lectures. W. G. F.) 

In 1852, brother Alexander Campbell of Beth- 
any, Yirginia, delivered some lectures in the then 
completed house, for the benefit of the church. 
The lectures were a success ; at no one of them 
could all the people be seated. 

The ministry of brother Samuel S. Church ex- 
tended from 1850 to 1856, when he died, sincerely 
mourned by his church and the community at 
large. During the pastorate of brother Church a 
Sunday-school was organized, of which Jonathan 
Jones was first Superintendent, James 0. Carson 
second, Williamson H. Pittman third, and I think, 
Thomas P. Russell fourth. The school under all 
these brethren was very prosperous and fruitful of 
much good. On the death of brother Samuel S. 



480 THE CHRISTIAI^ CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

Church, brother Alex. Procter was called to the 
pulpit, and brother Samuel Church, of Pittsburg, 
to be visiting elder for six months. Brother Skeen 
had moved from the city and brother Pussell, of 
Illinois, was elected to the eldership, likewise Dr. 
H. Christopher, brother Hobert B. Fife still being 
senior elder. Brother Procter remained pastor till 
1859, when he was followed by brother Ben H. 
Smith. Fifth street now began to be invaded by 
business, and ceased to be desirable as a church 
location. The brethren in looking for a more 
desirable location, finally settled on 17th and 
Olive ; exchanging thSir 5th St. property for this. 
This occurred in 1862 or '63. Some twenty or 
twenty-five of the members, living in the northern 
"part of the city, felt it too inconvenient to meet 
at 17th and Olive St., and petitioned the church 
for letters and permission to organize a church in 
their own neighborhood, which was granted, to- 
gether with a promise of money to help them, 
which when paid, proved to be §1,800. 

Brother Ben H. Smith resigned shortly after the 
clyirch moved to 17th and Olive. He in turn was 
followed by Henry H. Haley, he again by H. B. 
Clark, followed by John A. Brooks, then S. A. 
Kelley and Dr. ~W. H. Hopson a second time, then 
came O. A. Carr, Thomas P. Haley, W. T. Tibbs 
and W. E. Hall. 

Pastors : 1st. David Henry. (Dead). 2d. D. Pat 
Henderson. 3d. William Brown, (dead). 4th. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 481 

Samuel Rogers, (dead). 5tli. Joseph Patton, 
(dead). 6th. Dr. W. H. Hopson. 7th. Jacob 
Creath, Jr., (retired). 8th. Samuel S. Church, Ills, 
(dead). 9th. Alex Procter. 10th. Samuel Church 
Pittsburg, (dead). 11th. Ben H. Smith. 12th. 
Henry H. Haley, (dead). 13th. W. J. Pettigrew. 
14th. H. D. Clark. 15th. John A. Brooks. 16th. 
S. A. Kelley, (dead). 17th. Dr. W. H. Hopson. 
2d time. 18th. O. A. Carr. 19th. Thomas P, 
Haley. 20th. W. T. Tibbs. 21st. W. E. Hall. 
Elders: Robert B. Fife; Benjamin Skeen, Sr. ; Dr. 
Kussell,Illinois ; Dr. H. Christopher; Benjamin 
Skeen, Jr. ; Richard C. Wirrick ; James O. Carson ; 
Adamantine Johnson ; J. "W. Ellis ; John Gr. Allen ; 
John A. Owen ; W. A. Edmonds ; E. Wilkerson ; 
and John Boyd. 

St. Louis, Mo., April 28th, 1887. 
Dear Brother Haley : — I have . been looking 
about for items and documents that I thought 
would be useful in giving you as near as possible 
a history of the early days of the church in St. 
Louis. Some time ago, brother R. D. Patterson 
(at the request of brother Hall) called on me to 
aid him in gathering all we could, so as to have a 
record written up to file on the church records. 
Brother P. has done this work with what assist- 
ance I could give him, and thinking this record 
with what other items I can add, would be accept- 
able and useful. I have enclosed them to you, with 

31 



482 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

Ms permission, requesting them returned to me as 
soon as you are through with them. The slip sent 
you about my father, is from the pen of our much 
esteemed brother. Dr. H. Christopher. The statis- 
tical parts or dates I furnished him. 

Brother Patterson is so modest a man, that in 
his record there is no mention of his dear mother, 
Sarah L. Patterson, who united with the church in 
1842, by letter from the church in Pennsylvania, I 
think Philadelphia, but won't be certain. She was 
one of the best and most devoted women I ever 
knew, and was largely instrumental in building 
up the cause in our eity. Old father David Henry 
of Jacksonville, Illinois, grandfather of our highly 
esteemed brother William Henry, was the first 
preacher visiting our city ; his zeal and useful lab- 
ors with us did the cause great good. We were 
also greatly encouraged and the cause prospered 
by the labors .of brothers John T. Johnson and 
''Raccoon" John Smith, of Kentucky, on a visit 
paid us about 1845 or '46 ; as also of brother 
Thomas M. Allen and James Challen a little later. 
In conclusion, I will say, if I can be of any further 
service in placing your book or otherwise, com- 
mand me. With our best Christian regards for 
you and sister Haley. Yours fraternally, 

W. a. Fife. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES- 483 
ELDER R. B. FIFE. 

The subject of this sketch was born in Edin- 
burgh, Scotland the 15th of April, 1792. He was 
by ti-ade a gun- smith. He was endowed with a 
large brain, and an intellect of high order. He 
was about five feet ten inches in height; heavy 
set, well built, and of great physical strength. He 
had dark hair, grey eyes, and heavy eye-brows, 
large features, and altogether a most commanding 
figure. In early life he became religious and con- 
nected himself with the Baptist church ; but when 
the movement was made for the restoration of New 
Testament Christianity, he was among the first to 
unite his fortune with the movement. He came to 
Missouri in an early day, between the years 1830 
and 1835. He gathered up the few disciples who 
had settled there and organized the church in his 
own house. Having been an elder in Virginia, he 
became the first preacher of the young church. 

Although comparatively poor and burdened 
with the care of his family, he- labored without 
salary and continued his business. When the 
church began to grow, he called to his assistance 
such preachers as were available. Brother Creatli 
made them several visits and was at last induced 
to remove his family there and labor for them. 
After a time W. H. Hopson, then a medical stu- 
dent, became their pastor. In the intervals 
brother Fife served as elder and teacher. This he 



484 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 11^ MISSOURI. 

continued to do for a number of years. At length 
he lost his wife, and some years afterwards was 
married to that most accomplished Christian wo- 
man, the widow of Dr. Henry Hopson and mother 
of his brilliant young friend and brother. Dr. AY. 
H. Hopson. When the doctor became the princi- 
pal of the female school, at Palmyra, Mo., he and 
his wife removed there and became the head of 
the Domestic Department of that popular Institu- 
tion. When the doctor gave up the school' and 
removed to Lexington, Ky., and became the pastor 
of the church there, he removed to Paris, and con- 
nected himself with the school, under the care of 
Professors Campbell and Carter. He continued 
there until the fortunes of the war threw the doc- 
tor into the South, and he became pastor of the 
first church in St. Louis. Brother Fife came again 
to the city, the home of his adoption, and hoped 
there to end his days, but after one year the doc- 
tor was made President of Christian University, 
at Canton, Mo. His beloved step-father and 
mother removed to Canton with him. While here 
his beloved wife died and he returned to St. Louis, 
and resided with his son, W. G. Fife, the few 
remaining ^ears of his life. He united with the 
church there and spent the evening of his life with 
those whom he loved best. The writer was then 
pastor of the first church, and had the great privil 
ege of a most intimate association with him, and 
the melancholy pleasure of preaching his funeral 



HISTOKICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 485 

The evening of Ms life was very peaceful. Though 
living a great distance from the church, and now 
borne down with the weight of years, he was rare 
ly absent from his place in the eldership, and his 
devout prayers and thanksgivings at the Lord's 
table, will be long remembered. His last illness, 
if indeed it could be called illness, was brief and 
his death painless. Like the warrior who has 
fought his battles bravely and well, " He wrapped 
the drapery of his couch about him and laid him 
down to pleasant dreams." His faith was like that 
of Abraham. His zeal like that of Paul ; and his 
spirit and beautiful life, like that of the beloved 
John. 

He said to the writer, in speaking of the good- 
ness of God to him : " It seems to me as I look 
back over my life, that I have always been a great 
pet with my heavenly Father." He was cared for 
in his last days most lovingly by his son William 
and his graceful and amiable wife, and his lovely 
granddaughters, Julia and Emma. His funeral 
was from the old church he loved so well, and his 
body was borne to beautiful Bellefontaine, by 
his beloved brethren, who mourned him as a 
father. He and his sainted wives are now among 
the angels. They have already heard the plaudit : 
"Well done, thou good and faithful servants. 
Enter into the joys of thy Lord." Among the 
great company who have washed their robes and 
made them white in the blood of the Lamb, none 



486 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

will wear a brighter crown than Robert B. Fife. Of 
his children all have crossed over the river save 
his son William and his dear step-son, Dr. W. H. 
Hopson, whose feet are even now touching the 
cold waters. Rest in peace, thou venerable man 
of God. The following obituary was furnished 
The Christian by his devoted friend and phys- 
ician, Dr. H. Christopher, who was for many 
years intimately associated with him in the St. 
Louis church. 

ROBERT B. EIEE. 

"The good that men do lives after them." 
" Though dead they yet speak." A ripe sheaf has 
been gathered into the eternal garner. The decrep- 
itude of age has been transformed into the 
strength and vigor of immortal youth. Our aged 
and venerable brother, one so long and well 
known, and loved by all who knew him, has lain 
down to rest, and the monument of a Christian life 
stands over his grave, on which is inscribed : 
^'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." 
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of 
his saints." 

This is the inscription which God has written on 
all the tombs of his saints. 

Father Fife, as he was affectionately called by 
his brethren and sisters here, was well known in 
Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri, and not only 
well known, but highly esteemed and loved, not 



HISTORICAL AISD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 487 

simply as a man, but especially as a Christian. 
Xo words of eulogy are needed for those who 
knew him. The generous hospitable man, the 
unaffected and genuine Christian, who wrote his 
own eulogy in the life he lived. The words will be 
spoken by every one who knew the tenderness of 
his heart, and the sincerity of his affection; who 
have been the partakers of his hospitality or the 
companions of his society. Only such knew him, 
as only such know any man. Though a man of 
tine mind, excellent judgment and capable of nice 
and proper discriminations ; though well read in 
Sacred Scriptures, and fond, to an unusual degree^ 
of reading them every day, yet he always had the 
modesty and patience to listen, and never obtru- 
ded his own views in company. Though capable 
of instructing the church in his capacity as elder, 
yet he was always ready to invite and encourage 
others in the duties of instruction and exhortation. 
He was quick to discern ability in others, and 
especially in the young, and ever ready, when 
opportunity presented, to encourage the latter, 
especially to usefulness in the church. There was 
no show, display or ostentation about him. 
Though greatly the superior of many in intellec- 
tual capacity and cultivation, he rejoiced to see 
the inferior promoted and encouraged. 

These qualities of the man were to be seen only 
by the observer. So modest and retiring was he 
that even his brilliant abilities and excellence of 



488 THE CHRISTIAN" CHUECH IN^ MISSOURI. 

character seemed to be obscured by the gentleness 
of his manners. His mind, always vigorous and 
well-balanced, retained its strength to the end of 
his life. In this respect "his natural strength was 
unabated." The ostentation that is sometimes 
seen marring the beauties of a splendid intellect, 
and unusual cultivation, never tarnished the luster 
of his. In this respect the man never passed out 
of the child. His conversion to Christ seems to 
have turned the man into the child; and such 
a child he remained to the last. Though 86 
years of age, less one week, second childhood with 
attendant infirmity, never came on him. In heart 
and mind he died in the full vigor of his manhood. 
An intimate acquaintance of thirty years, afforded 
us ample opportuities to know him well; and 
in nothing do I exaggerate. There was between 
us a threefold affection^ and this admitted me to a 
closer intimacy with him than I otherwise would 
probably have enjoyed. I regret now that I am 
unable to recall much that he has told me of his 
early Christian life. He gave himself to the Lord 
a few years after his marriage, and became a 
member of the Baptist church. 

As respects the life of such a man, it matters lit- 
tle where and when he was born, or where or when 
he died. The life obscures the one, and throws 
ov^r the other a halo of light, gathered from the 
realm beyond the border of this. Suffice it to say 
he was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on the 15th 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 489 

day of April, 1792, and died in St. Louis, Mo., on 
the 8th day of April, 1878 At the age of 18 he 
left Scotland, and went to Virginia, on the death 
of an uncle, whose estate he inherited, D. Beverly 
Spratt. About the age of 21, he married Miss 
Sarah L. Banks. Of five children, but one son 
remains, three having died before he left Virginia, 
and a daughter, in this State, some twelve years 
ago. He was in the war of 1812, and after his dis- 
charge settled in Fredericksburg, where he resided 
until he removed to Missouri. 

When the principles of the Reformation, as 
pleaded by Alex. Campbell, were proclaimed 
among the Baptists of Virginia, he was among the 
first to embrace them. So thoroughly did these 
principles arouse the minds and excite the hearts 
of those who embraced them, that it was not long 
before every Baptist community in which they 
were proclaimed, was in commotion, and alarmed 
at their rapid spreading. Out of this commotion 
and alarm, came the once famous "Dover De- 
crees," the proclamation and execution of which 
made havoc of not a few Baptist churches which 
took part in their enactment. These severed all 
who received and maintained the principles of the 
Reformation, from the Baptist church. This 
insane course of the Baptists obliged the excluded 
to form congregations for themselves. Had they 
been excluded on any scriptural ground, such a 
course on the part of the excluded would have 



490 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN" MIldSOURI. 

"been sinful, and would not have succeeded. But 
these men were excluded because they held views 
which the Baptists regarded as heterodox, or con- 
trary to what they were teaching. Hence, the 
course of the excluded was necessary. It was 
either to do that, or fall back into the world. The 
latter their faith would not permit, and so they 
were compelled to pursue the course they did. In 
such a way, and by such means the Eeformers, as 
they were then called, became a power in the 
land, and a distinct people. From the day of his 
exclusion from the Baptist church, through the 
operation of the "Dover Decrees" to the day of 
his death, the principles because of which he was 
separated from the Baptist church, were the prin- 
ciples of his life. They became interwoven in the 
fabric of his being, to a degree that none embrac- 
ing them in these days can appreciate. They col- 
ored his whole after-life, grew with his growth, 
and strengthened with his age, and crystalized in 
the life which he presented to the world. What 
that life was, these principles made it. It was the 
fruit and mold of his religious convictions. His 
piety was the offspring of his faith, and his faith 
was the outgrowth of his convictions, regarding 
the Messiah ship of Jesus. 

In 1835 he came to St. Louis. The few disci- 
ples he then found in the city, he gathered to- 
gether, and a congregation was formed. This was 
the first church of the Reformation in St. Louis. 



HISTOEICAL A^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 491 

Since that time liis name lias been identified with 
the church hore, and this same church he has 
always felt to be his home. Though away from 
the city several times, and for several years at a 
time, yet his heart always turned thither with a 
peculiar tenderness and unabated affection, and 
hither, in the providence of God, he was turned in 
his old age by the loss of his second wife, the 
mother of Dr. W. H. Hopson, to whom he was 
married in October, 1847. If there be a greater fit- 
ness in one place than in another in which a man 
ought to die, that place would seem to be the one 
which had been the scene of his greatest work. 
And so it would seem that it was provided that he 
should come home to rest, and lie down where the 
work of his life could be about him, and there 
fondly laid away by hands that knew how gently 
to handle him, and cherished by hearts that felt 
his worth to them. The church here, he felt was 
home, as his had been the church's during the 
days of his manhood and of its struggles. Now 
he was weak and it was strong ; and as he looked 
over the past, and then out on the future, he real- 
ized that he had lived and labored in the cause of 
his Master for more than a generation, and that 
his course was well nigh its end. 

Sad, indeed, was the occasion of his return, the 
providence that led him to the scenes of his man- 
hood. Sometimes with the shade comes the sor- 
row, and deepens the gloom that the shadows cast 



492 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH H^T MISSOURI. 

around us. On the death of his wife, about one 
year ago, he turned his face homeward. Though 
with a son whom he loved as his own, yet he felt 
the time had come when fond and dear ties should 
be severed. Heart-sad and weary, and longirg for 
rest, he turned his steps toward his old home. The 
last prop of his old age had fallen, and he felt 
that he could stand but a short while longer. The 
feebleness which the sorrow from a lost compan- 
ion brings on the heart, settles on the body, and 
its strength gradually gives way. Then comes the 
loneliness of the hours once made happy by the 
wife-companion, and they weigh heavily on a 
heart now deprived of its accustomed support. Yet 
these angels of love and mercy, were sent by a 
kind Father, that he might turn his thoughts and 
longings wholly upward to his eternal home. 
Under the roof of his only son, and attended 
and surrounded by the few of his family that re- 
mained unscattered, he sank quietly in death, and 
passed onward through the valley of the shadow 
of death with the rod and staff of God as his com- 
fort and support. 

" Let me die the death of the righteous, and let 
my last days be like his." May the coming night 
— coming so fast to us all — find us as ready to lie 
down and rest, " until the heavens be no more," 
and wake in the morning of eternity, refreshed by 
the blessed sleep which the faithful through life 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 493 

find in the Lord Jesu s Christ, when they sink in 
the repose of death. H. C. 

JSt Louis, April '22d, 1878. 

SAMUEL S. CHURCH. 

The subject of this sketch was born in the vicin- 
ity of Jacksonville, Illinois, in the year 1823. His 
father died when he was quite young. His mother 
was married the second time to Elder JohnT. 
Jones, who was well known throughout Missouri 
and Illinois as a faithful and earnest preacher of 
the gospel of Christ. He became a disciple in his 
childhood, and was baptized, I think, by Elder D. 
P. Henderson, who for many years resided in Jack- 
sonville. He was also associated in his boyhood 
with Winthrop H. Hopson, who became a cele- 
brated preacher among the disciples. Both of 
these young men were for a time under the special 
training of that great and good man, and earnest 
reformer. Barton W. Stone, who spent the later 
years of his life in Illinois. Elder Church entered 
upon the work of preaching the gospel, while yet 
in his boyhood; and was recognized as a preacher 
of good ability and fine promise before he attained 
his majority. He was small of stature, never 
weighing perhaps over 135 pounds; about ^yq feet 
four inches in height. He had a heavy suit of 
black hair which grew down over his forehead giv- 
ing Mm anything but an intellectual appearance; 



494 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOUEI. 

though his head was large for a man of his size. 
His complexion was dark, his ej es were a lustrous 
brown. His voice was strong, clear and musical. 
He was exceedingly fluent in speech. His sermons 
were extemporaneous. His manners were easy 
and graceful; taken altogether his style was capti- 
vating, charming. He held the interest of his au- 
dience from the opening sentence to the close of his 
discourse. About the time he attained his major- 
ity he came to Missouri, at the instance of that 
friend of young preachers, Elder T. M. Allen, and 
resided at Columbia, preaching there and in the 
surrounding churches. He was much of the time 
in the company of his friend and schoolmate, W. 
H. Hopson, and held many meetings with T. M. 
Allen. After a time he was called to preach for the 
church in Lexington, Ky., and while preaching 
there, was married to Miss Julia Lenoir, of Boone 
county, Mo. Although his pastorate in Lexington 
was short, he and his accomplished wife have never 
been forgotten by the church there. The preach- 
ers who visit the Lexington churches even now will 
hear the name of S. S. Church spoken as often as 
that of any one of all the good and distinguished 
men who have served the churches there. Influ- 
enced largely, no doubt, by domestic considera- 
tions, he returned to Missouri, and became the 
pastor of the struggling St. Louis church. He 
commenced his labors there about the time the 
house of worship on 5th Street was erected. He 



HISTORICAL AiS"D BIOaRAPHICAl SKETCHES. 495 

shared, therefore, the struggles and privations of 
the heroic band, who, against fearful odds, sought 
and obtained recognition as a Christian church in 
that city, then the largest by far in the western 
country. Here he entered upon his work with a 
sanctified ambition to succeed. He was a close 
student, a great reader of the best books, an in- 
teresting public speaker, a faithful pastor,'_and a 
most affectionate and genial friend. 

In the midst of his greatest usefulness, after he 
had attached his church to himself with the strong- 
est ties ; while he was beginning to attract the at- 
tention of many of the leading minds of the city, 
in the mysterious providence of our Heavenly 
Father he sickened and died. He fell asleep in 
Jesus on the 19th of March 1856, surrounded by 
his devoted family and his scarcely less devoted 
flock. I find in the diary of brother Allen the fol- 
lowing notice of his death : 

" April 11th 1856, I went to see sister Julia 
Church, who got to her mother's a few days ago. 
It was the first time I had met with her since the 
death of her late dear husband — fny particular 
friend and brother, who died in St. Louis on the 
19th of March last. Elder S. S. Church was one of 
the excellent of earth, amiable, benevolent and 
possessing talents of the highest order. He was 
one of the best preachers in the State, and was 
greatly and deservedly beloved by all who knew 
him. It was by my solicitation and influence that 



496 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN" MISSOURI. 

he came to Missouri, some thirteen or fourteen 
years ago. By my advice he spent two years 
preaching to the church in Lexington, Ky. I mar- 
ried him to his wife, Miss Julia Lenoir, the mother 
of his four children. He felt like a son to me, and 
I am sure I have another friend in heaven. May 
the blessings of the Lord rest upon his widow and 
orphan children. " 

The following account of his last illness and 
death are kindly furnished by one of the officers 
of the church which he was serving at the time of 
his death. It was written on the day of his de- 
parture. 

LAST HOURS OF S- S. CHURCH. 

Though advised by his physicians that his case 
was hopeless, he did not think so. He said : "I will 
get well. This is my faith. I believe that God 
has more work for me to do." This was early in 
the afternoon. About 1 A. M., Wednesday morn- 
ing, having been wrapt in dreamy slumber, he 
awoke and raising his eyes to his brother-in-law, 
Br. W. T. Lenoir, he earnestly asked : Brother 
Watt, do you think I shall get well? The Doctor 
with a voice tremulous with emotion replied: 
"Brother Sam, I am afraid you will not : and I fear 
you can not last much longer." For a moment he 
was silent, then as an expression of mingled sor- 
row and resignation stole over his countenance, he 
earnestly said : "Well what of that? to die is only 



HISTORICAL AN-D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 497 

to leave this world and go to the bosom of our heav- 
enly Father. If it is the Lord's will that I should 
leave you all, then I have done my work here. He 
calls me to another field of labor. I have fought 
the fight. I have run the race, and there is a 
crown laid up for me in heaven. I regret — no I do 
not regret, but I am pained to leave those dear 
friends behind ; but I only anticipate them a little 
while." Then taking his wife and mother each by 
the hand he said : ''It is thus that I wish to die, 
with my dear wife and my devoted mother the one 
on my right, the other on my left ; with my own 
dear sister Sue, and my own sister Lou, and my 
dear brothers Walter and James, and with breth- 
ren and sisters in the Lord all around me. " Then 
hearing the mournful sobs of those around his bed, 
he feebly but earnestly exclaimed : ''Weep not for 
me. I go to the good Lord who redeemed me by 
his death and glorious resurrection. It is not upon 
my own righteousness that I rely, for it as filthy 
rags before his sight ; but 1 rely on the rich sacri 
fice of my Lord and Redeemer and my trust is in 
him. Yesterday I did not wish to die, for I be- 
lieved the Lord had more work for me to do in his 
cause, that cause in which I have earnestly though 
imperfectly labored here. I wished to preach one 
more sermon to my beloved congregation to tell 
them again of Jesus who died that we might live. 
I wish the brethren here present to bear to them 
the remembrance of the deep affection I feel for 

32 



498 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN" MISSOURI. 

them. I want to meet them all in heaven. Oh the 
depth of my love for them all! " Then as if ex- 
hausted, he ceased speaking and closed his eyes 
for a moment ; was silent, and then again arousing 
himself, he took the hand of his wife and said in a 
firm voice, while a beam of that heavenly light of 
hope which ever lights up the Christian's pathway 
to the tomb, irradiated his countenance, "My 
dear Julia, my beloved wife, we must part. We 
have spent many happy days together. All has 
been bright and peaceful. I leave in your care 
and in the hands of our heavenly Father the dear 
children he has given us. He will be a father to 
them. Meet me in heaven and there we shall 
spend an eternity of bliss together in the presence 
of our glorious Redeemer. Farewell! I now com- 
mit you to the care of that mother who gave you 
to me and that God who gave you to her ; and 
may God in his mercy preserve and bless you. 
And now, my dear mother, I must bid yon good 
bye. You did not think I would go before you, 
but it is the Lord's will. He has something more 
for you to do. Weep not for me but rejoice with 
me in my joy. Tell my brothers and sisters that I 
died in the full assurance of the efficiency of 
Christ's atonement, of which I have ever delighted 
to preach ; in full assurance of that eternal bliss 
that awaits me in the better land." Then turning 
to his mother he said : "I am glad, my mother, 
that you are here, that you may see that in my 






HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 499 

dying hour your maternal teaching was not in 
vain, and that I die leaning on the strong arm of 
that Savior to whom you directed my youthful 
steps. May the Lord bless you and bring you to 
your reward in his own good time. " He then 
turned to his sister Sue and her husband, and tak- 
ing their hands bade them an affectionate farewell ; 
and then pressing the hand of his sister Lou Le- 
noir, he thanked her for the more than sisterly 
devotion with which she had watched beside his 
bed during his illness, and called down the bless- 
ings of God upon her. He then bade farewell to 
Drs. William and Walter Lenoir ; then calling 
around him those of his flock who were present he 
gave them a parting blessing, and exhorted them 
to press forward in the good work in which they 
had enlisted and to meet him in that better world 
to which he was hastening. To Brother and Sister 
Ballentine he expressed his gratitude for their 
kindness with which they had treated him for 
years ; and particularly during the trying hours of 
his last illness ; and as he pressed their hands 
with deep emotion called down the blessings of 
God upon them. He also expressed his gratitude 
to brother William H. Pifctman and Doctor Chris- 
topher for their kindness and attention to him. 
He said that Dr. C — . had during ^\e years past i 
labored earnestly and faithfully for the benefit of 
his family without hope of reward ; and that it 
was his desire to prove his gratitude to him by 



500 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

some act which the Dr would appreciate had he 
lived, but that God had willed otherwise. He then 
called around him his children and embracing 
them one by one, told them he was going to die 
and that God would be a Father to them if they 
would be good children and endeavor to make 
their mother happy. After this he fell into a stu- 
por for a few minutes ; and waking said : "Friends, 
my time is almost come, and oh, if this be death 
I rejoice at its coming." Dr. Walter Lenoir then 
approached him and said : "Brother Sam, I have 
seen many die, but never have I seen one meet 
death so calmly and so resignedly, and this to us 
all is a comforting and happy thought." "Thank 
the Lord for that," he whispered. "I can now die 
happy in the thought that those who witness my 
death can witness to the world the triumph of him 
who dies in the Lord." After this he fell again 
into a stupor from which he occasionally aroused 
until 9 o'clock on Wednesday night, the 19th of 
March 1856, when he expired. 

Who can read this touching story of the last 
moments of this eminent servant of God without 
exclaiming "Let me also die the death of the 
righteous, and let my last end be like his?" 

In the Millennial Harbinger for April 1856 the 
following obituary appears : "Fell asleep in our 
Lord Jesus Christ on the evening of the 19 of 
March at 9 o'clock, Samuel S. Church, pastor of the 
church in St. Louis, aged 33 years and six months, 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 501 

after a long and lingering illness which he bore 
with the patience and resignation which a confi- 
dence in our Lord is only capable of inspiring. In 
his death the cause has lost an advocate which 
years will not replace. A great man has gone to 
his reward. His praise was in all the churches. 
He was loved by all. With manners winning and 
gentle ; retiring and unobtrusive ; a heart full of 
kindness and love ; he won imperceptibly and un- 
ceasingly upon the afiections of all who met him. 
IS'o man united in a more eminent degree all the 
qualities of a man of usefulness in the cause of 
our Master than he. Gentle and amiable in his 
deportment ; social and loving in his disposition, 
he was loved by brother and friend. Argumenta- 
tive ; powerful and impressive as a preacher ; he 
was a favorite with the public and his brethren ; 
and possessed unbounded influence with the con- 
gregation of which he was the minister. I write 
no panegyric. A few lines can not tell his worth 
and the loss which all of us have sustained. But 
though parted from us he still lives, and will ever 
live in our hearts. Samuel S. Church will long 
live in the affections of the brotherhood, and es- 
pecially in the hearts of those here who knew him 
so intimately and loved him so dearly. He be- 
longed to us all — to the whole household of faith ; 
and how deeply do we feel that our loss has been 
great. Removed from his field of labor to the en- 
joyment of his eternal and ineffable reward, in the 



502 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

full bloom of mantLood and the full tide of his 
usefulness ; the stroke has indeed fallen severely 
upon our hearts, which are now filled to aching by 
the blow. Shall we lift our eyes in grief and sor- 
row and utter "How unsearchable are thy judg- 
ments, and thy ways past finding out?" 

Death, though he came to him early in life, 
brought no terrors to him. The sorrow and grief 
are all our own. He died in faith like those whose 
example he had so often proclaimed to others. 
Calling his family to him one by one he spoke 
words to each and so to his friends around him ; 
and such thoughts, and such language, I will not 
now intrude upon the scene. In a firm calm voice 
he bade them all farewell, commending his wife 
and little ones, his mother, relatives and friends to 
that Arm which had been his support in life and 
was now his strength in death. He sank away as 
an infant to his slumbers, to awake again in the 
morning of the resurrection to be invested with im- 
mortality by the King of kings and Lord of lords. 
Thus he died .• 

"He set as sets the morning star which goes 

Not down behind the darkened West, nor hides 

Obscured among the Tempests of the sky, 

But melts away into the light of heaven." H. C. 

St. Louis, March 26th, 1856. Mr. Campbell 
subjoined the following : 

"We profoundly sympathize with the church not 
only in St. Louis, nor in the State of Missouri, but 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 503 

throughout the whole West and J^orthwest, in the 
melancholy loss of our so eminently useful and 
so universally beloved brother and fellow -laborer 
S. S. Church. Our only consolation in this sad 
bereavement is the assurance of his having en- 
tered into the joys of our Lord. May the good 
Lord who has taken him home be a husband to 
his widow and a Father to his fatherless chil- 
dren. A. C. 



504 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IJS" MISSOURI. 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

ELDER D. T. WRIGHT."^ 

Was born in Carter county, East Tennessee, on 
the 6tli day of January, 1817. While he was yet 
in his infancy, his parents, William and Susan- 
nah Wright, migrated to Illinois. There, in 1822, 
the father died, and the widowed mother with her 
three children returned to Tennessee, to her 
father's house, and became one of the family 
again, as before her marriage. Our brother was 
raised by his maternal grandparents, David and 
Rachel Pugh. They were of the strictest sect of 
Calvinistic Baptists, and brother Wright grew up 
under the influence of that doctrine. At that time 
opportunities for gaining an education in East 
Tennessee were limited indeed. The common 
schools were very inferior, and schools of a high 
grade were " few and far between." His grand- 
parents were abundantly able to liberally educate 
not only their own children, but their grandchil- 
ren also ; but they entertained a strange notion or 
prejudice against " book learning," and our broth- 
er's early education was greatly neglected. 
When nearly grown to the estate of manhood he 
undertook his own education, and at his own 



*This sketch is furnished by his daughter. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 505 

expense. He entered the Southwestern Theologi- 
cal Seminary, a Presbyterian school at Maysville, 
Blount county, Tennessee, but from lack of means 
was unable to take the full course. The addi- 
tional education he is in possession of, he obtained 
by hard study while engaged in the duties of an 
active life, which, after all, is the best of schools. 

In the fall of 1835, brother Wright joined the 
Baptist church at Sinking Creek, in his native 
county of Carter. He continued with that people 
till 1841, when, owing to a change of views in his 
own mind relative to Baptist usages and teach- 
ings, he left them and united with the Christian 
Church, at Turkey Town, Carter county. Soon 
after this he was ordained to the work of the min- 
istry. Elders John Wright and James I. Tipton 
officiating. At the district meeting which con- 
vened at Boon's Creek, Washington county, Ten- 
nessee, in August of that year, he was chosen to 
evangelize the district for the coming year. That 
was a successful period, the Lord blessing his lab- 
ors abundantly. There were many additions to 
the churches of the district. 

On the 26th of January, 1843, he was united in 
matrimony with Miss Catherine E. McEfee an 
intelligent Christian young lady of Washington 
county, Tennessee. After his marriage he ceased 
to travel as an evangelist, and located as pastor at 
Concord, in Sullivan county. At the unanimous 
request of the church at Concord, he located there 



506 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

as pastor, sustaining that relation to them for 
nearly three years. During the first five years of 
his ministry which was spent in East Tennessee, 
and among the people where he was Iborn and 
raised, his labors were greatly blessed, There 
were frequent additions to the Lord's army ; seve- 
ral churches were planted, and several pious and 
intelligent young men were not only brought into 
the church, but into the ministry. Among these, 
and who are now living, are elders Daniel Mcln- 
turf, of Carter's Station, Tenn., Thomas J. Wright, 
of Tennessee ; Samuel H. Millard of Yirginia. 
Among the dead, we mention two, Madison Love, 
formerly of Tenn., and Dr. David M. Buck, whose 
praise was in all the churches where he was 
known 

In May, 1846, our brother moved to Missouri, 
located in Mercer county. There he remained till 
the fall of the next year, preaching at the Goshen 
church and at his own house. He then moved to 
Trenton, in Grundy county, and preached for the 
church six years. In the latter part of 1852, he 
took up his residence in the county, some ten 
miles from Trenton, but still continued to preach 
for the church at Trenton and also at Lindley, at 
Hall's Schoolhouse, and at his house. 

In 1854, he moved to Lindley, Mo. At this 
place and in 1861, his career as editor and pub- 
lisher began. He and the late Dr. John R. How- 



HISTOEICAL AI^D BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 507 

ard commenced the publication of the CJiristian 
Pioneer. 

In January, 1864, he moved his family to Chilli- 
clothe, Mo., where he continued the publication of 
the Pioneer till the 3d of JN'ovember, 1870. The 
paper was merged with the Cliristian published 
at Kansas City, Mo. The good the Pioneer accom- 
plished will be fully known only in eternity. Dur- 
ing the troublous times of the war, brother 
Wright kept out of the whirlpool, and attended 
strictly to his own business, and was treated with 
respect by both parties. When the "Missouri 
Test Oath " went into effect, he refused to take it, 
not from any political embarrassment, but from 
the conviction that the "Oath," in principle, usur- 
ped the authority of Christ himself and made his 
blessed gospel subordinate to legislative enact- 
ment. All this time he continued to write and 
publish against the " Oath," and to preach regu- 
larly ; and, strange to say, that while many other 
preachers acting as he did, were arrested, he went 
on in the even tenor of his way without any inter- 
ruption whatever. From 1864 to 1869, he preached 
regularly for the church in Chillicothe, when at 
his urgent and repeated request he was released. 
The church thefe during brother Wright's labors, 
enjoyed great tranquility and prosperity, and it 
was the only church in the city which kept up its 
meetings during the dark days of the war. Brother 
Wright's labors as a preacher in Missouri have 



508 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IX MISSOURI. 

been rewarded with good success, and where he is 
known the best, he is respected and loved the 
most. It was he who received the confession and 
immersed into Christ, President B. H. Smith of 
of Christian University. He also conducted the 
services of his ordination. 

After the Pioneer went out of his hands, he gave 
up his time to the preaching of the word, and with 
great success. He filled the pulpit of Wheeling, 
Missouri, for fourteen years, one Sunday in every 
month. At Pattonsburg, Mo., two years ; Jame- 
son, two years ; at Clear Creek one year ; at Jack- 
son one year, which was in 1885 ; while there he 
raised a subscription and built a church, and on 
third Sunday in October, of the same year, it 
was dedicated, free of debt, and a congregation 
was organized of seventy-five members. 

He continued to fill his pulpit for six weeks 
after he was too hoarse to speak aloud. He took 
a violent cold in October, and it settled on his 
lungs; but he lingered till the 13th of September 
following (1886). His end was very peaceful in- 
deed. He passed away without a struggle, and 
he was perfectly resigned to go. He felt that his 
work here was done, but he was prepared for the 
next world. He died serving the Lord. 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 509 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

ELDER HIRAM WARRINER. 

Elder Hiram Warriner was born in Casey, 
county, Kentucky. He married Miss Lucindy 
Yandiver and moved to Missouri in 18 — . From 
Kay county, Mo., lie removed to Gentry county, in 
1845, where he died, in 1862. He became a mem- 
ber of the Christian Church while in Kentucky. 
He organized what is known as old Brick Church, 
four miles west of Albany, Gentry Co., May 25th, 
1847. This was the pioneer church of Gentry 
county. Here in 1847, he was ordained a minister 
of the gospel, by Zachariah Linville and George 
Flint. During his ministry he organized over 
thirty congregations and baptized more than 3,000 
souls. His words, just before he died, to brother 
J. H. Coffey, his Timothy, were : "With these 
hands, I have buried more than 3,000 persons with 
Jesus Christ in baptism." 

He was the first resident preacher in Gentry 
county, and preached his last sermon in a large 
barn, two miles southeast of Albany, a few 
months before he died, in May. A few days before 
he died, he requested brother Coffey to preach at 
his house, that he might break the loaf once more 
with his brethren before he died. At the conclus- 
sion of the meeting he requested the brethren to 



510 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOUEI. 

sing Ms favorite song: ^'There's a region above 
free from sin and temptation." He joined in a 
clear, sweet voice in singing the last verse : 

"From affliction set free, 

And from God ne'er to sever 
We his glory shall see 

And enjoy him forever." 

Then said : " It is enough ; 'tis all I ask ; 'tis all I 
want." In a few days he fell asleep saying to 
brother Coffey: "I have fonght the good fight, I 
have kept the faith ; go on, my young brother, 
preach the word." He now sleeps in the burial 
ground, at the old brick church, among those that 
he loved so well, and who loved him to the last. 
The day before he died, he requested his wife to 
hang his watch on the foot of his bed, where he 
could see it, saying: " This time to-morrow I will 
be with Jesus." And in a few minutes of that 
time the next day, he died. ""Blessed are they 
who die in the Lord. 

JS^ORTHWEST MISSOURI. 

Brother Haley : — I saw in the Christian-Evan- 
gelist that you desire information from the early 
churches and pioneer preachers ; this I will try to 
do to the best of my recollection. 

I was born in the State of Tennessee, in 1811, 
but was raised in Kentucky. Was baptized by 
James Robertson, yet living in Johnson county. 
Ills., in 1834, and was ordained an elder in the 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 511 

Christian diurch at Cyprus, in Union county, Ky., 
where I first began to preach to the brethren. In 
•1842, I moved to the northwest county of Missouri, 
adjoining the Indian Territory ; on what was 
called the attached part of Holt county. Oregon 
was the county seat. It was sparsely settled and 
many Indians were in the county. I settled in a 
grove called Pleasant Grove, now in Iowa. A suit 
was pending between Iowa and Missouri for a 
strip of nine miles wide, running from the Missouri 
to the Mississippi Rivers, which Iowa finally 
gained. When I arrived there, I found some 
brethren and sisters from Indiana, and a brother 
Jerry Guard and John Woodruff, both public 
speakers ; under whose teachings many were con- 
verted. They were holding meetings in their 
houses. In the fall of 1842, we built a log-house, 
for a meeting-house ; and in the course of that win- 
ter, we baptized some nine persons ; which gave us 
much encouragement. About this time the Meth- 
odists sent to this section, a young man by the 
name of Marvin ; afterwards Bishop Marvin. He 
was a very genial, friendly young man. He often 
came to my house ; would stay all night. We dis- 
cussed the differences between us in a very 
friendly way. He was the first Circuit Bider sent 
to this country. His successor was not so friendly 
but undertook to demolish, what he chose to call 
" Campbellism." On the subject of the mode and 
design of baptism, he failed in his proofs, and 



0l2 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

misrepresented our views. At the close, I notified 
the people that on that day two weeks, I would 
take up the subject at the same place, and tell 
them what we did believe. At the appointed time 
I had about the same audience he had. At the 
close, I gave an invitation, and two men came for- 
ward, and confessed the Savior. After this we 
had no further trouble. This is one time we got 
into a new country before the Methodists. Broth- 
ers Gruard and Woodruff did not stay long ; they 
sold their claims and moved away. I think they 
are both dead. In 1844, I moved about fifteen 
miles south of Rock Creek, where there were some 
brethren, that had moved in. . We organized a 
church, but had no house but a log schoolhouse, in 
which we met to worship, and in our own houses ; 
and in warm weather in the groves. I was the 
only teacher in the country of our brethren, for 
some time. About this time, Atchison county was 
cut off from Holt, and the county seat located at 
Linden ; but was moved to Rockport, the present 
county seat. About 1844, brother Duke Young, 
from Audrain county, held a protracted meeting 
with us. We had about forty additions which 
built up the cause greatly. In 1850, brother John 
MuUis, of Holt county, moved up here, and bought 
a farm. He devoted much of his time to preach- 
ing and organized a church on Tarkio. About 
1860, he moved to Nebraska where he dieC. 
About 1855, John H. Parker came to the county. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 513 

and bought a home, and lived here until about 
1882, when he went to Nebraska, and died. He 
did much to build up the cause. When he left, I 
was left alone again, so far as a resident preacher 
was concerned ; but we have had the help of many 
able men, from other sections, employed by the 
churches by the year. Of the old organization on 
Hock Creek, only three are left: brother E. S. 
Needel and wife and myself; my wife being gone 
to her rest. We have at this time, about six 
organized congregations in the county, and about 
as many more have become disorganized, for the 
lack of pastors to take care of them. About the 
years 1868, John O. Wliite moved here from 
Boone county. He was a very zealous man and 
greatly beloved by the brethren. He did much in 
building up the cause in this county, but he only 
remained something over a year, when he returned 
to his old home in Boone. We have at this time 
brother Richardson as our evangelist, doing 
county work half his time. This is a good field, 
where much good could be done, if we had the 
laborers. The State Board has not paid much 
attention to this part of the State. I have given 
you a brief history of our progress from 1842 ; if it 
will be of any use to your history of the pioneer 
work of the State, I will feel well paid for my 
trouble. Yours, in the good hope, 

Richard Buckham. 

33 



514 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

ELDEE JACOB COON'S. 

Was born in Montgomery county, Ky., January 
12tli, 1800. His education was very limited, as 
was common to farmers' boys in these early days. 
He was baptized by Elder John Smith, in the fall 
of 1825. He told me he was the first person broth- 
er Smith ever baptized, upon a simple confession 
of faith, without relating a ''Christian experi- 
ence." He had, naturally, a large vein of relig- 
ion running through his system, and he took part 
in the prayer meetings forthwith, and soon engag- 
ed in exhortation and preaching in the neighbor- 
hood. 

In 1831, he and David Davis and Absalom Rice, 
all young preachers, came with their families, in 
the same group to Missouri, and settled in the 
same neighborhood, in Calloway county. Brother 
Coons found himself surrounded by a large uncul- 
tivated field so far as our plea was concerned ; and 
in the ardor of his first love for Christ, and his 
cause, he commenced his religious labors there. 
In a short time, by the aid of coadjutors, Davis 
and Rice, a church was constituted in Fulton, 
which was the first one in the county, I believe. 

Brother Coons remained there for 17 years, suc- 
cessfully preaching throughout the county, and 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 515 

beyond its borders ; at the end of which time the 
cause had gotten a strong hold in all these parts. 
In 1848, he moved to Mexico, Audrain county, and 
preaching was the business of his life ever after- 
wards; a period of twenty- one years. He often 
visited churches at stated periods ; far off and 
near, and when that was not the case, he was 
somewhere in the field in active service of the 
Master. Nothing but sickness or high waters, 
ever prevented him from meeting his appoint- 
ments. No preacher that ever lived in that 
county, made such sacrifices or endured such hard- 
ships, in the discharge of his professional duties 
as brother Coons. None ever went through as 
much, and deep mud, snow and rain, as he. Be- 
sides he was subject to an infirmity of the body 
(Hernia) from early manhood, which would have 
caused almost any other ^man, to have succumbed, 
but he went bravely on, and was never heard to 
complain of it. That which, perhaps, contributed 
more to his usefulness, than any other element in 
his ministry, was his great zeal and fervency. In 
all his speeches those features were present, and 
prominent. He was a good recruiter, and his lab- 
ors were abundantly blessed, as instruments in 
bringing souls to Christ. He never seemed so near 
to heaven, as in a successful meeting. Withal he 
was a fine singer, and loved to sing. His voice 
had not failed any at 69 years of age. He was a 
great student of his Bible. Long before his death, 



516 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

lie made it a rule to read the Old Testament 
through once a year, and the New Testament once 
a month. He read' little else than his Bible, and 
religious papers. In hospitality he was a model. 
He never was the man that turned off the stranger, 
but like Paul " received " and cheerfully " all that 
came in unto him." He died with the harness on. 
He had meeting at a private house on Lord's day, 
in his neighborhood, with one confession, and he 
attended to the baptism in the evening. Before 
night on the same day he was taken ill, and ere 
the sun arose next morning, was a corpse. His 
death occurred August 23d, 1869, in his 70th year. 

ELDER GEORGE FLII^T. 

Elder George Flint, one of the older pioneer 
preachers of IS'orthwest Missouri, died in 18 — . He 
was quite a remarkable man of God, and did a 
good work for the Lord. He had a line command 
of language, and at the age of 70, mastered per- 
fectly the New Testament. 

Brother Coffey entered his room an hour before 
he died. His wife supporting his head with her 
hands, said: "Father, brother Coffey is in the 
room." He replied : " Is he ? is he ?" then reaching 
out his hand, cold and palsied by death, he said 
" God bless you, brother Coffey ; go on, go on ; we 
will meet; we will meet." And in an hour his 
heart was still in death. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 517 

CHAPTER XXXIY. 

CALLOWAY COUNTY. 

Williamsburg, Mo., March 14th, 1886. 
Brother T. P. Halet: — Touching the early 
churches in Calloway county : Antioch, situated 
three and a half miles south of Williamsburg, was 
organized in October 1828, in a private house near 
the present site. Names of the original members 
were Philip Love, Elizabeth Love, Charles Love, 
Jesse McMahan, Polly McMahan, Joseph Duncan, 
JS'ancy Duncan, William Douglass, Greenup Jack- 
man, James Love, the last three named became 
preachers and preached here successfully for many 
years. The two former are dead but James Love 
lives in retirement and has for a number of years. 
Mrs. Enoch Fruit, Mrs. John Clark, Matilda Love, 
Richard Isham and John McMahan and their 
wives. Present membership 160. Marcus Wills, 
Jacob and Joseph Coons, Sandy Jones, Absalom 
Rice, T. J. Marlow, Leroy Hatchett, Luke Flynn, 
W. J. Mason, and E. R,. Childers have served the 
church as pastors. The church has had many re- 
vival seasons presided over by such men as Dr. 
Hopson, Jo. Errett, Mountjoy Carr and others. 
The present church-house is a frame and was built 
in 1885at a cost of $1,600. Joseph G. Crane. 



518 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

^IS'ew LoiSTDON, Mo., March llth 1886. 
Brother Hugley : — My dear sir : — In reply to 
yours of the 18th Inst., I report — that the Christian 
Church at New London was organized in May, A. 
D. 1838, by brother Levan and J. P. Lancaster, 
with eight members all of whom have been (I be- 
lieve) gathered home. My first acquaintance with 
the church and its members was in 1852. They 
were then holding their meetings in the old Court- 
house (near where the present one stands), and 
was preached to by old father Thomas Allen and 
Dr. Hopson. As the church record (as you know) 
has been very poorly kept, or not kept at all, I 
may fail to mention some who have preached for 
the congregation and am not altogether sure that I 
give them in their proper order. Of course I go no 
farther back than my own memory — but may say 
that Sandy E. Jones and old brother George Wa- 
ters and Brother Creath, have each preached to 
the church here. Since 1852 : Dr. W. H. Hopson, 
J. J. Errett, Dr. W. D. Jourdan. Alpheus Brown, S. 
P. Johnson, W. Pattison, S. P. Lucy, G. H. Laugh- 
lin, Jacob Hugley, B. H. Smith, W. H. Cook, J. J. 
Keathcart, J. B. Corwine. Hoping that this will 
give you some of the information sought, and 
wishing you and yours health and prosperity I 
am, Respectfully and fraternally, 

L. B. Woodson. 



*Omitted from Ralls County history. 



HISTORICAL A:N"D BIOaRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 519 
CHURCH AT LA PLATA. 

Prairie Home, Cooper Co., March 5tli 1884. 
Dear Brother Haley : — I received a letter last 
evening from my brother A. J. Davis, wlio is now 
living in Bloomiield, Iowa. He was living in La 
Plata, Macon County, Mo., when that congregation 
was organized, and was one of the charter mem- 
bers. He says : It was organized by Brother E. C. 
Browning, on the 4th Lord's day in October 1867. 
Charter members : Z. E. Atterberry, wife and 
daughter, A. J. Davis, wife and daughter, M. Ows- 
ley, Henry Owsley and wife, John Byler and wife, 
Greenup Prather and wife, Perrin Cooley and wife, 
E. Timms and wife, Mary Williamson, P. H. T. 
Dickerson and wife. Prudence Moore and William 
Murphy. Total 22. Atterberry and A. J. Davis 
were appointed Elders, and M. Owsley, John By- 
ler and P. H. T. Dickerson, Deacons. M. Owsley, 
Clerk and Treasurer. Brother says the charter 
members are all living so far as he knows, except 
Brother E. Timms, Prudence Moore and Sister 
Cooley. Five of the charter members are now 
members of the congregation at Bloomfield, Iowa, 
where my brother now is. He did not give the 
present numbers at La Plata. Brother Haley, I 
could give many instances in my "preacher life'' 
In Macon and CooiDer counties, some of them quite 
interesting, but it would make a book of consider- 
able size, and would look like parading myself 



520 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

before the world, and I have no aspirations in that 
direction ; I therefore forbear. I traveled and 
preached a great deal in Macon and adjoining 
counties, for several years, almost entirely without 
pecuniary remuneration. I settled in this county 
in a strong sectarian neighborhood, where I could 
not get a hearing for several years. At length in 
1862 — during the war, I commenced preaching in 
our school-house, twice a month, got my good 
Brother Longan to assist me several days at a sec- 
ond appointment, and the meeting resulted in sev- 
eral confessions. I continued to preach twice a 
month for two years and immersed some one at 
almost every meeting. But my active labors in the 
Master's cause are about over, owing to feeble 
health and a local disease that gives me a good 
deal of trouble. I am preaching but little, none 
through the winter. Hope, however, to be able to 
do some good yet. 

In much love, your brother, 

0. P. Davis. 

ELDEE JOHN CALLERMAN. 

Letter from Gov. Bishop. 

Cincinnati, O., May 19th, 1886. 
T. P. Haley, Kansas City, Mo., Dear Broth- 
er: — I saw a notice in the ''Christian Evan- 
gelist" some time ago that you were writing a 
book, "Sketches of the Early Life of Missouri 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 521 

Preachers." Among tlie names, if I remember 
correctly, you made some inquiry, or requested 
some information concerning John Callerman. I 
knew Brother C — . well in my early days in Ken- 
tucky. He came out from the Methodists about 
1830. I heard him make his renunciation of Meth- 
odism and saw him immersed in Johnson Creek. 
He was pastor or preacher for the churches of 
Bethel and Poplar Run ; alternating between the 
two. 1st and 3rd Lord's day at Bethel — 2nd and 
4th Lord's day at Poplar Run, in Fleming county, 
Ky. I was married by him in Bethel meeting- 
house and always had a warm attachment for 
him. No doubt you know his early history. I 
write this so as to call your attention to it. This 
leaves us well. Fraternally, 

R. M. Bishop. 

SOUTH WE>T MO. 

West Plains, Mo., March 5th, 1884. 
T. P. Haley, Kai^sas City^ Mo. 

Dear Beother : — On inj return from the close 
of my work in Arkansas the last of February, I 
found a card from you awaiting me, making in- 
quiry in regard to the pioneer preachers in this 
part of the State. Although my knowledge of 
these worthy men is limited and imperfect, I hast- 
en to give you the little information I have in re- 
gard to them. From the best of my recollection, 



622 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH IIT MISSOURI. 

it was in the year 1846 that Peter Wright and Na- 
than Buchanan, who were brothers-in-law, moved 
from Washington county, Indiana, where they had 
labored for years as successful Christian preach- 
ers, to Southwest Missouri. The former settled in 
Jasper, and the other in IS'ewton County. Peter 
Wright — the grand-father of the writer of this — 
was the youngest of a family of five boys, all of 
whom were worthy preachers. They were, in the 
beginning of their work, Free-will Baptists — but 
opposed to human creeds ; and in 1819 gave up 
the name "Baptist" for the simplicity and purity 
of scriptural names. You will find a partial ac- 
€Ount of this in "Life of Elder Benjamin Frank- 
lin," Pages 163 — 165. Peter Wright preached all 
over South-west Missouri, for about ten years. He 
was a man of good talent, a lovely spirit, and 
wielded a wonderful influence for good wherever 
he went. He was familiarly known by all as 
"Uncle Peter." I do no ' remember the date, but 
he died at his home in Jasper county, Mo., univer- 
sally beloved. ISTathan Buchanan was a Scotch- 
man, and, as he often said in beginning a dis- 
course, "born with the rough side of his tongue 
Tip." He was a fair scholar for his day ; knew his 
Bible as well as any man I ever knew, and was a 
strong and powerful reasoner. He was considered 
very rough in his address, but one could not fail 
to be interested in his discourse, nor was he likely 
to forget what he had heard. 



HISTOEICAL A:N^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 523 

he was familiarly known, lived in Newton county, 
and pleached over South-west Missouri for some 
years after the war of 1861 — 5, and then moved to 
the State of California and died full of years. 
Amos Buchanan was the son of jSTathan Buchanan. 
He went to school during winter months, to his fa- 
ther and Uncle Peter Wright, till he was consid- 
ered a good scholar for that day. He began 
preaching, I think, from his twentieth to his twen- 
ty-third year, and was soon regarded as "an able 
young man." After he had a wife and one or two 
children, he went to school to Arkansas College, 
situated at Fayetteville, Arkansas, at that time 
under the control of Brother Kobert Graham. He 
lived on a farm, taught school during the winter, 
and preached whenever and wherever he could. 
He was my father in the gospel, and my ideal 
preacher. I boarded in his family, went to school 
to him, was taught Christianity and baptized by 
him. Though I have not seen him for nearly 
twenty-four years, and it may be a boyish fancy 
of mine, I do not think I have met his superior as 
a speaker, since. He lived in Jasper county. Mo., 
till some years after the war, then moved to Cali- 
fornia, and from there to Washington Territory. 
He now lives in Idaho, and is a member of the 
Idaho Legislature. He is probably fifty or fifty- 
five years of age. These three men were among 
God's noble men. They planted the cause of 
Christ, and principally sustained it, for many 



524 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

years in South-west Missouri. I do not know 
enough of others to give you anything reliable. 
Fraternally, Adam S. Wright. 

ELDER ABSOLOM RICE. 

FuLTO]!^, Mo., May 5th, 1886. 
Dear Brother Haley : — Enclosed you will find 
a short sketch of Brother A Rice. It is a mere 
statement of facts, thinking that you would prefer 
doing your own weaving of the story. But for a 
few lines of memoranda found among Brother 
Rice's papers, nothing to amount to anything 
would have been known of his life. It has cost me 
considerable labor to get even this little. The 
sketch of the Fulton congregation I will send as 
soon as I can. The old records are lost and the 
memories of the older brethren, as to its early his- 
tory, differ very much. Through correspondence 
and conference I am doing all I can to make it ac- 
curate and complete. 

Yours fraternally, Fra^k W. Allen. 

ABSALOM RICE. 

Absalom Rice was born in Tennessee, E"ovember 
1st, 1795, and was reared in Kentucky ; to which 
State he was brought in infancy. He was married 
to Miss Elenor C. Hensley, February 15th, 1821, 
and in 1826 he and his wife were immersed by El- 



HISTORICAL AIS^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 525 

cLer John Smith. He moved from Montgomery 
county, Ky., to Calloway county, Mo., in 1831 and 
lived for one year where the Insane Asylum now 
stands. He then moved to his farm about four 
and a half miles South-west of Fulton where he 
lived until his death. If he ever did any public 
speaking before coming to Missouri, we have no 
account of it. With his move to Missouri he took 
up an active ministry. The J&rst Christian church 
in this county was organized by him, at Fulton in 
1833 ; and in the Fulton congregation he served as 
elder for more than fifteen years ; and preached to 
the same until the (new) old brick house was built 
In 1846 ; when Brother Wills was employed once 
a month. Besides the one in Fulton, he organized 
the following congregations in Calloway county ; 
Mount Tabor, about 1840, where he preached 
about 33 years ; JS'ew Liberty, now called Reform 
(date unknown) ; Sulphur Springs, about 1866 
where he preached for many years ; and Boyds- 
ville in conjunction with Jacob Coons and D. B. 
Davis. He quit preaching about 1874 or 1875, 
and died August 11th, 1881. His devoted wife fol- 
lowed him to the spirit world February 11th, 1883. 
There were born to them five children. Sue, Jane 
and William Shelton died in infancy ; and Mary at 
twelve years of age. William S. (Rice) lives on 
the old homestead, and his sister Amanda Cheat- 
ham not far away. They are both much loved 
and respected for their sterling qualities. The 



526 THE CHKISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

cause of Christ in Calloway county owes an ever- 
lasting debt of gratitude to Brother and Sister 
Rice. Though poor w^hen they came into the 
county, they were rich in faith and good works ; 
and each sacrificed greatly for years that others 
might be blessed with the truth. For about thirty 
years he taught school in the winter, farmed in 
the spring, summer and autumn, and preached on 
Lord's days. He was of a nervous temperament 
and like all our pioneer preachers was a very 
earnest speaker. He knew no such word as com- 
promise in religious matters. He is described as 
being, when in the prime of life, about ^ve feet 
eleven inches high, weighing about one hundred 
and eighty pounds ; with blue eyes, brown hair, 
and beard, and a moderately fair camplexion. In 
his old age he became much stooped and very 
deaf. But even up to death his eye would sparkle 
as he recounted his contests for the truth with the 
"Sectarian world." 

NOTES ABOUT ABSALOM RICE, BY ROBERT L. 
MCHATTON. 

Brother E. R. Childers and I were holding a 
meeting for the Harris Prairie Christian church. 
The Chapel was the property of the Southern 
Methodists who had kindly given us the use of the 
house for our meeting. It was a large, old time 
building, which was free to all Christian people. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 527 

T^ear by was tlie ancient stile where riders dis- 
mounted. Our meeting was about ten days old, 
^ and quite an interest was prevailing. There had 
been about twenty -five baptisms. Among the 
number were some of the grand-children of Absa- 
lom Rice. He lived with his son about ^ve miles 
from the church and could not attend the meeting, 
for old age was pressing him down. One bright 
week-day morning, about fifty pious souls had as- 
sembled in the church to have a foretaste of heav- 
en in sweet communion with each other and our 
heavenly Father. Looking out of the window, I 
saw an old man ride up to the. stile block. T mo- 
tioned to a young man to hitch his horse for him. 
To my surprise I found that the new-comer was 
too weak to dismount. The young man lifted him 
to the ground and helped him into the door. 
Bowed by the weight of four score years his prog- 
ress down the aisle was very slow. All eyes were 
turned upon a veteran whose every weary step told 
that he was nearly through with a life of activity. 
I met him near the pulpit and gave him a chair. 
He gazed at the audience intently for a moment 
and then composed himself as one who was satis- 
fied. Looking into the face I saw one that bespoke 
great intelligence, much gentleness, firm determin- 
ation, and deep piety. The eyes were bright and 
piercing. He was dressed in a plain farmer's suit 
and held in his hand a cane. This was Absalom 
Eice, a man loved and respected for miles away. 



528 THE CHRISTIAIT CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

So full was Ills heart over the success of our meet- 
ing that he must come. He wanted to see his 
brethren once again and hear confessed the name 
of the Savior he had so long preached. Brother 
Childers preached and I talked for a little while. 
It was only for a little while for my heart was too 
full. We asked him to cheer the brethren by a 
short exhortation. With difficulty he arose from 
his chair, stepped behind it and grasped its back 
with a trembling hand. Every face was suffused 
with tears, and I felt I was near one who was to 
be in heaven soon. I thought of the beloved John 
who was carried to the church by young men. 
Brother R. hesitated about a moment and then 
quietly told of his long life in the grandest of all 
works. Told us to be faithful and lovingly point- 
ed us to heavenly rest that remaineth for all 
the tired people of God. Like a weary child he 
was glad to be so near his home. He desired to 
meet us all in the heaven for which he was soon to 
depart. Our souls were stirred within us and we 
too longed for the promised land where we could 
be forever with such sweet spirits. We sung: 
"We are going home to die no more." A young 
man came forward. Brother Kice, as he stood at 
the end of life, took the hand of one who was just 
beginning the pilgrimage. He stated for the last 
time the question he had so often asked of his 
neighbors, and added a few words of cheer. I 
think this was his last time in the assembly of 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 529 

saints ; Ms last speech, and the last of many con- 
fessions taken by him. The funeral of Absalom 
nice took place at his son's about six miles South- 
west of Fulton, and was preached by Robert L. Mc- 
Hatton, to a large concourse of friends and breth- 
ren. His body was buried in the orchard or 
grave-yard a few rods from the house. A. Rice 
was loved and respected by all who knew him, 
and eternity alone can record the results of his 
faithful work. Until his death he retained an act- 
ive mind. Only a short time before he died he 
wrote several articles and poems for the Calloway 
county papers. , 

SOUTHWEST MISSOtJRI. 

Washington, D. C, March 26th, 1886. 

Dear Brother Haley: — In reading the ''Stan- 
dard" we see you are gathering items of the early 
Christian preachers of Southwest Missouri, for 
publication. When we lived in that part of Mis- 
souri, our home was Osceola, St. Clair county. 
Christianity, as we teach it, was hardly known 
there. In the village only one family, besides our 
own, was all that was contending for the ancient 
gospel — brother and sister Yater. Sister Yater is 
a sister of John Jameson, a M. C. from the Fulton 
district. 

We then lived in log houses; sometimes only 
one room, with sleeping room above, ascended by 
34 



530 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IJ^ MISSOURI. 

ladders. Our preacher came once a month ; so did 
the others ; which gave ns a preacher every Sun- 
day. The Yater house was the preacher's home. 
Saturday night, the puncheon plank seats were 
arranged, and in winter large fires made ; and such 
good meetings as we had ! After service all were 
asked to stay to supper or dinner, as the case 
might be; and a very plentiful repast and hearty 
welcome given to all. We enjoyed the rude cabin 
and Cliristian gathering, and never forget those 
early days. 

Brother Elgin was one of tliose early evangelists 
who did good battle in the Lord's service. Our 
cause was much helped by a visit from Dr. Hop- 
son and sister Ella; which made the masses of the 
people, think we were " a resj^ectabie body " as 
the doctor would say, when the courthouse was 
crowded to hear him. We were getting a hearing 
from the people then, and the doctor baptized the 
fifth candidate for Christianity, in the Osage, if 
my memory is right; and the first witnessed by 
many people. The cause went on, prospering for 
the ancient gospel, and the spread is wonderful. 

Mrs. Lucy Davis. 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 531 

CHAPTER XXXY. 

SCHUYLER COUNTY. 

Lancaster, Mo., February IStli, 1886. 
T. P. Haley, Dear Brother : — Your two cards 
have been received, and I will comply as best I 
can, with surroundings. The present church at 
Lancaster, Mo., has a record of names and facts 
dating from August 8th, 1827, to the present time, 
covering 183 pages of cap ; although not specific in 
statement until 1852 (seems to have been made up 
from scraps of paper before the book was pro- 
cured), as to the preacher or the discipline, but 
after that date the material facts have been 
stated. The church attained its greatest strength 
just before 1861, of about two hundred attending 
members. At a reorganization September, 1863, 
about seventy-five of the members had disap- 
peared, and we had, say one hundred and twenty- 
five names of membership who met with the 
church. Since that time, the gain has been small, 
and we now have one hundred and sixty members. 
Of the names of preaching brethi^en, who most 
readily occur to me, or which appear on the rec- 
ord, I will name some who labored longest, say : 
Isaac Foster, William Hadley, James N. Wright, 
E. H. Lawson, Hosea Northcutt, Josiah Davis and 
many others will deserve mention. Before 1847, 



532 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH US' MISSOURI. 

many preachers visited this county and preached 
the word. I name of these ; John Stannard, Reu- 
ben Turner and "William White, as recurring to 
mind. In 1858, we built a house of worship in 
Lancaster, at a cost of $1,200. In 1882, again we 
built a second house at a cost of $2,000. 

In Shuyler county, there are at present eight 
congregations numbering from twenty-five to one 
hundi'ed and sixty members each. I should sup- 
pose the average to be fifty. There are four houses 
of worship of sufficient capacity to seat the ordin- 
ary attendance. The other four congregations 
meet in schoolhouses or as circumstances dictate. 

JACKSON COUNTY. 

The first "church of Christ," in this county was 
organized at "Lone Jack" in the South Eastern 
part of the county. It is not certainly known who 
the preacher was who first preached the primitive 
gospel here, but it is related that as early as the 
year 1834 one Elder Stanley or Saunders baptized 
a Miss Elizabeth English. This would make the 
first preaching more than fifty years ago. 

Subsequently Elders Simon Bradley, Malkey, 
Thomas McBride, James McBride, William Park- 
er and others preached in the vicinity. The 
church at "Lone Jack" was organized on the 21st 
day of September 1832. It is not stated by whom 
it was constituted. The names of the charter 



HISTORICAL ATTD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. o3B 

memlbers were Thomas Malkey, Simon Bradley, 
Thomas McBride, Sr., Thomas McBride, Jr.^ John 
S. Cano, William Parker, "Wilson Lewis, John 
Wright, Robert H. Crawford, Elizabeth L. Bynum^ 
Fannie Parker, Euphronia Crawford, Ann Wright, 
Elizabeth Gibson, Susan Drake, Annie Snow, 
Martha Bynum. The pastors who have served 
the church in succession are Thomas Malkey, 
Thos. McBride, Simon Bradley, Wm. Parker, Joel 
D. Wilmot, C. P. Arbuckle, John 0. Kane, Mad- 
ison Burnett, John W. Dawson, W. R. Cunning- 
ham, H. M. Price and James L. Warren. The 
present pastor is Elder Walton who has a warm 
place in the hearts of the people of the commun- 
ity. At present among the more active members 
may be mentioned, the Shawhans and Alexanders. 

From the beginning the church has been accus- 
tomed to have preaching once a month. As most 
of the early preachers came from the Baptist 
church they brought with them this most unfortu- 
nate usage, "monthly preaching." One of the 
results of this system was the agreement of the 
church at "Lone Jack" with the Baptist church 
for a joint ownership of the meeting house or for 
such an interest as would give them the use of it 
one Sunday in each month. 

Another result was the failure to keep the 
ordinances as they were delivered to the JS'ew 
Testament church which certainly met together on 
the "first day" of every week to worship, and 



534 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

especially to commemorate the Lord's death in the 
Lord's Supper. May not this neglect account for 
the fact that after fifty years the church is still 
unable " to keep house alone." When will our 
churches learn that the blessing of the Lord upon 
the churches as well as individuals waits on their 
loyalty to the commands of Christ who caid: 
* 'Forsake not the assembling of yourselves togeth- 
er as the manner of some is"? The church is at 
this writing more prosperous than it has been for 
many years, and the hope is that the old church 
may soon have a house of its own, and become 
an example of faithfulness to her younger sisters. 

INDEPENDENCE. 

The church at Independence was organized in 
the year 1836, and erected a church building very 
soon thereafter. 

The members who composed the organization 
were among the best citizens of the vicinity. 
Some of these were : Amos Allen, Oliver Caldwell, 
James Smart, Eli Glascock, Alexander Collins, F. 
E.. Greenwood Elder F. R. Palmer, Henry Parker, 
Adam Fisher, J. H. Eaton, 'N. J. Hockensmith, Asa 
Hedges, Benjamin Thompson, Sam'l Shortridge, 
with their wives and families. 

The present church building was erected in 
1854, by William Huston and remodeled in 1874. 
The estimated cost of the building is six thousand 



HISTOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 535 

dollars. It is immediately on the line of the Mis- 
souri Pacific Railroad, and is therefore nnfavora- 
My located, is entirely too small for the present 
needs of the congregation and will soon doubtless 
loe abandoned for a better location and a more 
modern and commodious house. This church has 
always numbered among its membership many of 
the very best people of the community and is now 
a large, rich and influential church. It is fully 
abreast of the times, and takes an active interest 
in every good work. 

Elder F. R. Palmer, already mentioned as a 
charter member of the congregation was the first 
preacher. During his early administration he was 
aided especially in protracted meetings by such 
men as Thomas M. Allen, Joel H. Hayden, Allen 
"Wright, Sam'l S. Church, Thomas N. Gaines and 
in fact by nearly all the prominent preachers in 
the State. At one time that prince of preachers, 
Elder Moses E. Lard, resided at Independence and 
preached for the church, when not abroad hold- 
ing protracted meetings. Elder ]^^oah W. Miller 
also, while teaching a flourishing Male Academy 
there, also supported the pulpit. Meanwhile 
Elder Palmer still resided there and was regarded 
as the " bishop " of Independence. It is said he 
supplied the pulpit regulaily for twenty years. 
* Abour the year 1857 the present able pastor, 
Elder Alexander Procter, was called, and except- 
ing a short sojourn at Paris, during the war, when 



536 THE CHRISTIAIS- CHURCH IIST MISSOURI. 

he was not very comfortable at home, he has been 
the beloved pastor of the church and the trusted 
friend of all the people of Independence. This 
church has set a good example to her neighbors in 
retaining her pastors, two, Bro. Palmer and Proc- 
ter, having served fifty years, the former 20, the 
latter 30. The church at Independence has been 
wise enough to maintain a Christian School for 
many years and thus control the young people 
from whom the church is constantly being 
recruited. The church is to-day more potent for 
good than it has ever been, and is interested in 
every good work of the " brotherhood." 

KANSAS CITY. 

This church was organized in the year 1858 
under the labors of Elders F. R. Palmer and John 
O'Kane, the latter of whom for a short time 
preached at Independence. There had been for 
many years a church at Westport, but for some 
years previous to this time, for various causes it 
had been declining, the chief cause being that as 
the business of the town was constantly being 
drawn to the thriving village at the mouth of the 
Kaw, the business men who had been the support 
of the church, had gone with it or had removed to 
other points. 

The idea was therefore conceived of building a 
church house near enough to both towns to accom- 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 537 

modate the members who might reside in either, 
or in its vicinity, hence a site was selected for a 
meeting house at what is now the Northwest cor- 
ner of 12th and Main, which was then a part of 
the premises of Judge Thomas Smart, who was 
himself, with the members of his family, a mem- 
ber of the new church. He very generously 
donated the ground, and a neat and substantial 
brick building was erected. This house was 
dedicated to the service of Almighty God, by 
the writer, assisted by his brother H. H. Haley, 
and Elder F. R. Palmer, and John O'Kane, in 
the fall of 1859. The original Church Roll has 
been lost, but of the charter members, the fol- 
lowing names are recalled : Judge Thomas Smart 
and wife. Dr. Isaac M. Ridge and wife, Wil- 
loughby Thomas and wife, Robert C. White and 
wife, John Heydon, whose wife was baptized at 
this first meeting. Andrew Johnson and wife, 
Bryan Wright, Mrs. Elenor Campbell, Mrs. F. P. 
McGee, Isaac McDonald and wife, Levi Bradley 
and wife, the Steeles and others whose names are 
not now recalled. During the meeting which fol- 
lowed the dedication, quite a number of additions 
were obtained, among these Mother Parish and 
several other members of the family. 

At this meeting, Henry H. Haley, then quite a 
young preacher, was chosen the pastor of the 
church. The congregation grew rapidly, and the 
young church was greatly prospered under his 



538 THE CHRISTIAIS- CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

wise and faithful administration. He greatly en- 
deared himself to the church and the people, and 
it is no exaggeration to say, that of all the excel- 
lent ministers who have lived in and served the 
congregations in Kansas City, none were ever more 
popular, or more highly esteemed, both within the 
church and without, than was he. The dark 
clouds of the civil war lowered over the country 
even when he took charge here, and when at last 
the storm burst in fury, his pastorate was suspen- 
ded, and the church was scattered to the "four 
winds." At the close of the war he was recalled, 
and came to gather up the fragments. Quite a 
number of the old members had survived the war, 
and returned to the city, and a large number had 
come from other churches. Very soon thereafter, 
he gathered up a large and enthusiastic church, 
which he continued to serve until the fall of 1870, 
when he resigned to take charge of the church in 
Hannibal, Mo. 

He was succeeded by Elder G. W. Longan, then 
the senior editor of The Christian, (now the 
Christian- Evangelist), who served the church as 
preacher for one year. He was succeeded by Elder 
Alex. Procter, who though still residing at Inde- 
pendence, served the church for one year. Brother 
Mountjoy, recently gone to his reward, then came 
and spent one year, and was succeeded by Elder 
J. Z. Taylor, who served the church for six years. 
During the latter part of the administration of 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 539 

Bro. Taylor, a second churcli was organized, and 
called Elder David Walk to the pastorate. In tlie 
year 1881, Elders Walk and Taylor, both having 
resigned, it v^as thought best to consolidate the 
two churches, and await the organization of a sec- 
ond church, till the membership should be 
stronger. In the meantime, business houses hav- 
ing encroched upon the old house at Main Street, 
it had been sold, and a lot purchased, and a house 
of worship commenced at the northwest corner of 
11th and Locust St. 

In November, 1881, the writer was called to the 
care of the consolidated congregation. It was then 
worshipping in a hall on Main St., and continued 
to do so until the basement of the new church was 
completed, Nov. the 1st, 1882. The congregation 
then worshipped in the basement until May 1st, 

1884, when the upper room was completed and 
dedicated by Elder Isaac Errett. The whole struc- 
ture, as it now stands, having cost about $42,500, 
was dedicated free from debt. 

In the month of August, 1884, a mission Sunday 
school, under the charge of Q. W. Thompson and 
Martin S. Millard, was organized in Summerville's 
Hall, at the northeast corner of 23d and Dipps St. 
During the following year, Elder A. R. McAllister 
was employed to take charge of the mission. In 

1885, a lot was bought, on Summit St., between 
17th and 18th St., and a neat house of worship 
was erected. It was dedicated by the writer, on 



540 THE CHRISTIAlSr CHURCH 1^ MISSOURI. 

the 1st day of May, 1886. Shortly thereafter, a 
congregation was organized, of some fifty or sixty 
members. Elder McAllister having resigned, Elder 
E. Monroe was called, and entered upon his work 
Jan. 1st, 1887. There is now a prosperous young 
church at work under his direction, with fair pros- 
pects of success. 

In 1884, a Sunday-school was organized at 16th 
and Lydia avenue, under the supervision of Rob- 
ert L. Yeager and J. B. Atkins, deceased. In 
June, 1885, Elder Jesse H. Hughes held a meeting 
there which resulted in his being called to preach 
to that mission. 

In 1886, in November, a church was organized, 
composed of about one hundred members. A lot 
has been purchased, and it is confidently expected 
that this congregation will also soon have a house 
of worship. Meantime, the church has grown till 
it now has a membership of about two hundred, 
with a flourishing Sunday-school. 

In the early part of the present year, another 
mission school was established at Independence 
and Brooklyn avenue, which will no doubt in the 
near future, grow into a large and flourishing 
church. This school has been placed under the 
supervision of D. O. Smart, O. D. Woodgate and 
John E. Hale ; all members of the 11th and Locust 
St. church. While there has been from the begin- 
ning a church of average strength, both numerical 
and financial, in the last few years the church has 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 541 

shared the general prosperity of the city, and is 
now, much stronger than in many of the older 
cities. The membership at present, aggregates 
probably twelve hundred souls. 

There are also flourishing churches at the fol 
lowing places : Sibley, Buckuer, Lee's Summit, 
Greenwood, Grainvalley, Raytown, Hickman Mills 
^ew Santa Fe and Westport. Of the order in 
w^hich these churches were founded and of their 
history no such information has been obtained, as 
would justify an attempt to sketch it. 



who served the church at Independence so long 
and to whom nearly all the congregations in the 
county are largely indebted for their existence, 
was born in Tennessee in the year 1792. Nothing 
of his parents is known to the writer, \ and nothing 
of the circumstances of his early life. He was a 
man of commanding personal appearance, consid- 
erably over six feet in height, as straight as an 
arrow, weighing, perhaps, 180 lbs., without the 
least tendency toward being fleshy. His complex- 
ion in earlier years, was florid, his hair was a light 
brown and his eyes, grey. His voice was clear 
and strong. As a speaker he was calm and de- 
liberate, clear and logical. He was not without 
tenderness and pathos, though he was never re- 
garded as an orator, nor as an exhorter. While 



542 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 11^ MISSOURI. 

always fairly successful and especially so, where 
he was well known, he was never remarkable for 
his success in the evangelistic field. While he did 
not enjoy the advantages of a collegiate education, 
he was more than an average scholar for his day 
and generation. He not only spoke and wrote his 
mother tongue accurately, but he also had a lib- 
eral knowledge of the Greek and Latin languages. 
He was a man of extensive reading, especially 
along the line of church history and controversial 
divinity. He was easy and graceful in manner, 
faultlessly neat in his person and a perfect gentle- 
man everywhere. He resided for a great many 
years on a small farm near Independence and was 
always in comfortable circumstances. He dis- 
pensed a liberal hospitality and multitudes shared 
his generosity, especially the young preachers 
who passed that way, to whom he was always es- 
pecially kind. In his early manhood, he entered 
the ministry. He was identified at first, with the 
Christian church in Ky., under the leadership of 
Barton W. Stone, and soon became prominent 
among them. Wlien the union occurred between the 
"Christian church" and the "Reformers" in Ken- 
tucky, he entered heartily into the union ; while he 
refused to be called a Trinitarian he was just as 
prompt to repudiate the name of Arian, and pre- 
ferred to speak of God and Christ and the Holy 
Spirit in the precise language of the holy Scrip- 
tures. In the year 1836, he removed from Ken- 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 543 

tucky to Missouri and settled near Independence, 
where he resided continuously till the commence- 
ment of the late war. Of his labors at home and 
abroad during all these years, it is impossible to 
give any adequate account; but they are all re- 
corded in that book which is kept by him who 
shall say: "Well done! thou good and faithful 
servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." 
About the beginning of the war, Bro. Palmer re- 
moved to Dover, Mo., where he resided for some 
time. While there, the community was greatly 
annoyed by marauding bands, called "bush 
whackers." The militia stationed at Lexington, 
were often sent in pursuit. On one occasion when 
some outrage had been committed, they were 
sent out to capture, but failing to find them they 
captured the citizens of Dover and brought them 
to Headquarters. Among these, was the venera- 
ble minister, Bro. Palmer. The writer, who was at 
the time pastor at Lexington, did not often ap- 
pear at Military Headquarters, but hearing that 
Bro. Palmer was among the persons, he went to 
the Colonel commanding and asked for his parole, 
becoming personally responsible for his appear- 
ance when wanted. A meeting was in progress at 
the time, in the Christian church, the venerable 
man of God was a regular attendant, and reluct- 
antly consented to take part in prayer and exhor- 
tation. It was a strange spectacle to see many of 
the soldiers who had been sent to arrest him and 



544 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

liis neighbors, coming forward to confess their 
faith in Christ, under his affectionate appeals, and 
to see the tenderness and cordiality with which he 
received them. 

After the war closed he located in Liberty, 
where he continued to reside until his death which 
occurred in 1875 in the eighty- third year of his 
age. He was twice married. By his first mar- 
riage, all his children were born. His second wife 
survived him but she, too, has gone to her reward. 
Of his children, Mrs. Barton S. Grant of St. Louis, 
Dr. Charles Palmer of Lawson, Mo., and his son 
William, who is somewhere in the west, survive 
him. No man ever lived a more uniformly up- 
right life than did he,- and no more fitting words 
can be chosen to close this imperfect sketch of his 
life, than the words of the holy Scriptures he loved 
so well. "Blessed are the dead which die in the 
Lord, yea saith the Spirit, they rest from their 
labors and their works do follow them." 

HENRY H. HALEY, 

who served the church in Kansas City, longer 
than any other church and who preached exten- 
sively over the county, was born in Randolph co., 
Mo., on the 26th day of November, 1834. He 
grew up on his father's farm. Like most of the 
sons of farmers in that section of the country in 
that day, he worked on the farm in the summer 



HISTORICAL AND BIOaRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 545 

montlis and attended the country school in the 
winter. At the age of sixteen or seventeen he be- 
came a member of the church at Antioch, and at 
once manifested a desire to become a preacher of 
the gospel. Desiring a better education than was 
to be had in the neighborhood, he was sent to 
"Silver Creek Academy," a school in the South- 
western part of the county, taught by Elder Noah 
W. Miller. After about a year spent in this 
school and some months spent in teaching a coun- 
try school in his father's neighborhood, he fol- 
lowed his old teacher, Mr. Miller, to Independence, 
Mo., where he had opened a high school. Here 
he was prepared for college. In the fall of 1856 
he entered the junior class in Bethany college. 
West Virginia, then the most celebrated college 
among the disciples. Here he spent two years, 
graduating in the class of 1858. On his return to 
Mo., he entered at once upon the work of preach- 
ing the gospel, having been ordained at Bethany 
college, on the Lord's day after his graduation, 
Alex Campbell, Robt. Milligan, Dr. Robt. Richard- 
son and R. L. Coleman of Ya., taking part in the 
ceremonies. After preaching for a time as an 
evangelist among the churches, he was employed 
by the churches in Lafayette county, making his 
home at Wellington. 

In March, 1860, he was married to Miss Mary E. 
Porter of Lexington, Mo., and very soon thereafter 
removed to Kansas City, and preached for the 

35 



546 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

church there until driven from the field by the 
horrors of civil war. In the years '63 and '64 he 
preached in the vicinity of Lexington, and in the 
spring of 1865, became the pastor of the first 
church in St. Louis, where he continued for two 
years, and then returned to Kansas City. In 1865, 
in September, his beloved wife died, leaving two 
children. In 1870, he was married to Mrs. S. H. 
Bowen of Hannibal and in the fall of the same 
year, became the pastor there. In 1872, his health 
began to fail, he resigned his charge and in Octo- 
ber removed to his brother's farm, near Platte 
City, Mo. During the year following, with failing 
health, he continued to preach as he had strength, 
to the surrounding churches. In the fall of 1873, 
while preaching at "School Creek Church" in 
Platte county, he had a dreadful hemorrhage of 
the lungs. This was his last sermon. Consump- 
tion rapidly developed, and on the 24th day of 
August, at the residence of his brother, near St. 
Joseph, Mo., he fell asleep in Jesus, in the blessed 
hope of immortality. He died in his fortieth year 
in the very prime of his manhood. 

Henry H. Haley was in many respects a remark- 
able man. He was six feet and one and one half 
inches in height, slightly built, never weighing 
more than one hundred and fifty pounds. His 
form was almost perfect. His complexion was 
dark, his hair was a dark brown, very heavy and 
inclined to curl, his eyes were a lustrous brown, 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 547 

and tie wore a long, full beard, which in color 
matched his hair. His voice was melody itself, 
and whether speaking or singing, was as soft as a 
lute. His manners were cordial, and his greeting 
to all most kindly. He was, indeed, a handsome 
man. A Presbyterian minister, who knew him 
most intimately, said of him, " He was the hand- 
somest man I ever knew, and the least conscious 
of it."" His life and character were as beautiful as 
his person. As a child, he was affectionate and 
dutiful. His father once remarked, that he did not 
believe Henry ever did an intentional wrong in his 
life. He was popular in school, and his college 
mates loved him as a brother. As a preacher, he 
was greatly loved by the Christian people of every 
communion who knew him. The churches to 
which he ministered were devoted to him, and 
after the passage of nearly 20 years, his name is a 
precious memory in many a household. He was 
always dignified, and yet the children, and the 
humblest man and woman in the community, felt 
no hesitancy in approaching him. He was every 
man's friend, who would permit him to befriend 
him. He was a fine scholar, and a constant, labor- 
ious student, and at the time of his death w^as 
growing as rapidly as any young man in the 
State. 

As a preacher, he was always interesting ; while 
the tendency of his mind was toward philosophy 
and metaphysics, he was always pT-actical. No 



548 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN" MISSOURI. 

man was more successful in the conversion of sin- 
ners, and in building up the saints in their most 
holy faith. As a pastor he was eminently success- 
ful ; always welcome in the homes of the people, 
to whatever class they belonged. They always 
found in him one who understood their needs and 
knew how to sympathize with them and to be 
helpful to them. It was a strange providence that 
removed him in the very midst of his usefulness, 
and it can only be explained in the light of a 
remark made by him in the last days of his life. 
^'The Lord must have work for me to do over 
there." He died without a struggle, and his body 
rests by the side of the wife of his youth, in the 
cemetery at Lexington, Mo. He left a widow, 
his second wife, and two children to mourn his 
loss. His daughter Ella, is now Mrs. J. D. Camp- 
bell of Wichita, Kansas. His son Porter is resid- 
ing in Kansas City, Mo. May the dear Lord bless 
and keep them. To the writer the sun has never 
shone so bright nor the earth seemed so beautiful 
since this best beloved brother went away, but the 
distance shortens, and we shall greet each other 
again " up there." 

ELDER JOHN W. MOUNT JOY 

was born in Anderson county, Ky., on the 7th day 
of May 1844. In very early life he obeyed the 
gospel under the preaching of Elder John I. Hog- 





^ ^^*t~>^ 



T 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 549 

ers. In the fall of 1860, lie entered Kentucky Uni- 
versity, then located at Harrodsburg, Ky. He grad- 
uated in 1865 with the highest honors of his class. 
From the time he obeyed the gospel, it was his 
purpose to devote his life to the preaching of the 
gospel. Immediately after his graduation he 
entered upon his life work with the greatest 
enthusiasm. In the fall of 1866 he came to Mis- 
souri and was employed by the churches in Mex- 
ico and Wright City. With these churches he 
remained one year only, though his preaching and 
pastoral work were eminently satisfactory. In 
the fall of 1867 he was called to Columbia. This 
call was a very high compliment to the young 
minister, for he was to be the successor of such 
distinguished preachers as D. P. Henderson, Pres- 
ident Shannon, L. B. Wilkes, and Pres. J. K 
Rogers. He accepted the call with diffidence, 
believing however that it would afford him better 
facilities for study and growth. He remained 
with the church in Columbia three years, giving 
great satisfaction to the church and becoming 
very popular with all the people of the town and 
vicinity. His ministry was greatly blessed to the 
growth and upbuilding of the church. He was 
especially successful in winning the young people 
to Christ, and as Columbia is the city of schools, 
the young ladies and gentlemen converted under 
his ministry carried his name and fame to all 
parts of the State, so that his name soon became a 



550 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH I^ MISSOURI. 

household word in all parts of Missouri. In 1871 
he was married to Miss Rebecca Shannon of 
Columbia, a neice of President James Shannon, 
and moved for domestic reasons to Nevada in 
Yernon county. He did this that he might pro- 
vide a comfortable home for his aged mother and 
the younger members of his family. He remained 
there however only one year, when he accepted a 
call to the church in Kansas City, Mo. Here he 
remained only one year when he was called to 
the church in Paris, Mo. This church, one of the 
oldest and best in Missouri, had become acquain- 
ted with Bro. Mountjoy during his stay at Mexico 
and Columbia. They showed their appreciation 
of his services by retaining him from 1873 to 
1882 — a period of nine years. During these years 
he was not only the vigilant and faithful pastor of 
the church in Paris, but found time to hold a 
great many protracted meetings in all parts of the 
State. He also inaugurated the Monroe County 
Co-operation, which has for years kept an evan- 
gelist in the field, strengthening the weaker 
churches and planting a congregation in almost 
every county. Here he also became greatly inter- 
ested in the Orphan School located at Camden 
Point, was a member of its Board of Incorpora- 
tors, and its active friend and supporter. 

In 1882 he was again called to Columbia, and 
at once entered upon a most successful pastorate, 
even more successful than the first, for he brought 



HISTOEICAL AJN^D BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 551 

with Mm the growth and accumulated experience 
of years, "besides he found much of the former sow- 
ing ready for the harvest. During these years he 
was frequently abroad holding meetings, some of 
them the best of his life. While thus engaged at 
Centralia, in his own county, in what he regarded 
as the most remarkable meeting of his life, he 
overtaxed his powers, was attacked violently with 
pheumonia and notwithstanding all that loving 
hands and skillful physicians could do, he " fell 
asleep " in Jesus on the 23rd day of March, 1886, 
aged 41 years 9 months and 16 days. His un- 
timely death was a great shock to his family, 
and to the brethren throughout the State. They 
felt it the more keenly, and grieved for him more 
profoundly because they felt that he had sacri- 
ficed his life for what he felt to be his duty to the 
cause. He died at home surrounded by his fam- 
ily and the members of the church who loved him 
and whom he loved so well. His funeral sermon 
was preached by Bro. Alexander Procter, assisted 
by the other ministers of Columbia. All the space 
allotted to this nqticc might be taken up, with the 
notices of the press, obituary tributes, and lines 
written in memory of him. From a letter from 
his beloved wife the following extract is taken : 
"• The church and the world knew him as an able, 
earnest, zealous worker for his Master. We who 
saw the most beautiful side of his character knew 
him best and loved him most. To us he was the 



552 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 

faithful husband, affectionate and indulgent father. 
In our home is his vacant chair. Over our hearts 
and lives there is a shadow that will never be 
oremved till we meet beyond the river. ' Shall we 
know each other there V " 

Bro. Mountjoy was small of stature being about 
5 feet 8 or 9 inches in height, and weighing prob- 
ably not over 140 pounds. His hair was black as 
the raven, his eyes a very dark blue, his complex- 
ion rather dark, his voice was not very strong but 
clear and soft. When speaking, especially when 
pleading with men to turn to God, there was an 
indescribable tenderness in his tones, indeed while 
there were tears on his face, there were "tears in 
his voice." 

He was well formed, and while he was never 
robust, you were never impressed that he was 
frail. He endured great fatigue. He had a win- 
ning, and pleasing face and drew men towards 
him even before he had uttered a word. 

He was well educated but he was too busy 
about his Master's business to be a great stu- 
dent. His chief study was the blessed Bible and 
the books which seek to interpret it. His sin- 
cere desire was to be a preacher of " the Word," 
and right nobly did he succeed. Bro. Mountjoy 
was distinguished for his love for his preaching 
brethren and his unselfish labors in behalf of all 
co-operative work among them. He not only 
found time to take care of his home church, but 



HI STOEICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 553 

was found at all tiie meetings, conventions, Insti- 
tutes, etc., and contributed largely to their suc- 
cess. He was secretary of the Missouri Conven- 
tion or State Meeting, as it is sometimes called, 
from the year 1868 till the year before his death 
when he was elected president, but he did not live 
to preside. He was always prominent and active 
in the Sunday-school Conventions. Since his 
death there has been a " vacant chair " in our 
Conventions too and he will long be missed, but 
the good which he has done will live on and 
he is henceforth to be numbered with that great 
company, who '' though dead, still speak." 

" Fallen on Zion's battle field. 

A soldier of renown ; 
Armed in the panoply of God, 

In conflict cloven down, 
His helmet on, his armor bright, 

His cheek unblanched with fear. 
While round his head there gleams a light 

His dying hour to cheer. 

" Fallen Avhile cheering with his voice 

The sacramental host, #. 

With banners floating on the air. 

Death found him at his post. 
In life's high prime, the warfare closed, 

But not ingloriously. 
He fell beyond the outer wall 

And shouted victory. 



554 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH lUf MISSOURI. * 
PRrN^CE L. HUDGIIS^S. 

This remarkable man was born in Kentucky, in 
tlie year 1811, in what part of the State is not now 
known to the writer. His parents were from Vir- 
ginia, but of them little has been learned. They 
came to Missouri about the year 1830, and lived 
for a time in Ray county, and from there they 
removed to Johnson county. Prince L., was the 
oldest son, and his father was for many years 
prior to his death an invalid. The care of his par- 
ents, and the younger members of the family, very 
naturally devolved upon him. It was the joy of 
his declining years to remember that the good 
Father enabled him fco supply to them what had 
been lost by the affliction of his father. After sev- 
eral years of laborious application to the farm, 
he commenced the study of law, and having pre- 
pared himself for the practice of his chosen profes- 
sion he settled in Savannah, in Andrew county, 
Missouri. Here he soon acquired a lucrative prac- 
tice and began to accumulate property rapidly. 
In the meantime, he had become a disciple of the 
blessed Lord, and cherished a strong desire to be 
come a preacher of the gospel. It is not known 
when or by whom he was converted and baptized, 
but prior to the year 1850, he was already actively 
engaged in preaching the gospel, when not en- 
gaged at the bar. He became one of the most 
powerful and most successful advocates of Apos- 



HISTORICAL AN^D BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 000 

tolic Christianity, in all upper Missouri, though 
he never gave up the practice of his profession. 
He was a fine looking man, about six feet in 
height, and weighing perhaps 175 pounds. He 
had dark hair and dark eyes ; a splendid voice, 
and easy and graceful delivery, and was recog- 
nized every where as a charming speaker, and elo- 
quent advocate ; whether at the bar or in the pul- 
pit. He was for about eight years, the preacher 
of the church in Savannah. While there, he 
passed through a great trial, a fight of afflictions, 
such as comes to few men, and while he was mis- 
judged, and condemned by many, he came out of 
them all with the confidence and affection of his 
brethren unimpaired, except, perhaps, in the case 
of some who were personally involved in the diffi- 
culties. Elder T. M. Allen, who knew all the facts 
and circumstances of the trouble, always main- 
tained that brother Hudgins was a greatly perse- 
cuted and maligned man. These servants of the 
King were greatly attached, even devoted to each 
other, until separated by death. At the breaking 
out of the war, brother Hudgins removed to St. 
Louis, where, with his sons, he continued the 
practice of his profession till the year 1871, when 
he returned to his home in Savannah, Missouri. 
Meanwhile, he became paralyzed in his lower 
limbs, which gradually extended, till his whole 
body became involved. He lived for some time, 
unable to move any of his body, without assis- 



556 THE CHRISTIATT CHURCH I^ MISSOURI. 

tance. It was thought by his family that this 
affliction was the result of exposure and suffering, 
to which he was subjected in the early part of the 
civil war. 

It was the privilege of the writer to visit him in 
the year 1871. He was then able to sit in his 
chair, though not able to walk. His mind was 
unclouded, his voice clear and strong. He knew, 
however, that the end was coming, and was per- 
fectly resigned. The only regret he expressed, in 
looking back over his remarkable life, was, that 
he had not given himself wholly to the work, real- 
izing fully, that " no man that warreth, entangleth 
himself with the affairs of this life, that he may 
please him that sent him. He would have no 
young man follow his example in this respect. 
Always successful in his secular business, he 
preached without salary, and for the most part 
without compensation, declaring that what he 
could do in that direction, he made a "free will 
offering unto the Lord." 

Brother Hudgins began to preach at a time 
when the discussions between the established 
churches, and those who were attempting the res- 
toration of New Testament Christianity, were ear- 
nest and heated. He entered with all his soul into 
the strife, and woe to the man who became invol- 
ved in controversy with him. The sacred themes 
and topics were often handled in the same man- 
ner, if not in the same spirit, that he brought to 



HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 557 

his discussion at the bar, and before the jury. 
Few men were able to stand before his scathing 
satire, or his burning ridicule. While i n his de- 
clining, he would not have withdrawn a single 
argument, he would, if possible, have greatly 
changed his manner of presenting them. It has 
been said, that he and Elder T. M. Allen were 
greatly attached, it should also be said that his 
personal relations with Alexander Campbell Mo- 
ses E. Lard, and all prominent men of the church, 
were most cordial and friendly. 

He passed away among his friends, and in the 
midst of his devoted family, at the old homestead 
in Savannah, in 1871. Let us fondly hope that his 
heroic deeds in behalf of the cause in Xorthwest 
Missouri, will not be forgotten, and that his faults, 
whatever they were, will lie buried in the ground 
with his dust. 



was a relative of the celebrated pioneer, Daniel 
Boone, and brother of Hampton L. Boone, already 
mentioned in these pages. He was born and 
reared in Howard county, Missouri. He grew up 
to manhood in that comparatively new country, 
where few facilities were found for the education 
of youth. Notwithstanding this fact, he acquired 
in some way, a liberal education, especially a fine 
business education. While yet quite a young 



558 THE CHEISTIAT^^ CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

man he was married to Miss Lucy Daily, of one of 
the most prominent families of the county. In 
his young manhood he was somewhat wild and 
reckless and especially fond of sporting. He was 
once heard to say that when he became a Christ- 
ian, he could not look back upon his past life 
with any degree of pleasure, that like Paul, * 'for- 
getting the things that were behind, and reaching 
forth toward those things which are before, he 
pressed toward the mark and prize of the high 
calling of God in Christ Jesus." Notwithstand- 
ing this estimate of his past life, he was always 
trusted by his fellow-citizens as an honest man. 
When I first knew him he was the cashier of the 
old Mo. State Bank, at Fayette, Mo., which posi- 
tion he held for many years. On the 23rd day 
of August, 1847, under the preaching of Elder T. 
M. Allen, he and his wife confessed their faith in 
Christ, and on the afternoon of the same were 
baptized. On the same day some fifteen of his 
neighbors, also confessed Christ, being influenced 
largely, no doubt, by his example. From that 
day to the day of his death he was a devoted, 
zealous and faithful disciple of the Lord Jesus. 
While he continued in business, he very soon be- 
gan to preach to his neighbors, the blessed gospel 
that had done so much for him, and although he 
did not travel abroad, the church in Fayette and 
those in the surrounding country, when without 
a regular preacher, depended on Bro. Boone to 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 559 

supply them. He was a forcible speaker, nn- 
derstood his storj well and always told it with 
good effect. He was at this time in very com- 
fortable circumstances, and the church at home^ 
and all the enterprises of his brethren for the 
spread of the gospel, found in him a liberal helper. 
He was especially the friend of educational en- 
terprises. His daughters were educated at Chris- 
tian College and his older sons were graduates of 
Bethany. By the misfortunes of the war his 
fortune was greatly reduced and for a number of 
years prior to his death he resided in Jefferson 
City, Mo., engaged in manufacturing. He was 
also at one time State Librarian and again Clerk 
of the superintendent of public instruction. For 
some years after he settled in Jefferson City there 
was no church of his brethren there and he did 
not cease to work and pray till a beautiful church 
edifice was erected. In this house and among the 
few faithful disciples in Jefferson City, he joyfully 
passed the evening of his life. While here he 
and Ms wife celebrated their golden wedding, and 
the large company of distinguished guests, among 
whom was the governor of the State, testified of 
the esteem in which he was held. Shortly there- 
after his health began to fail and in the winter 
of 1865, he passed to his reward, greatly loved by 
his family and honored by all who knew him. 
His aged wife and a large family of sons and 
daughters survive him. His daughters are all 



.560 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOUEI. 

Christians. May we not express the hope that 
ere it is too late his sons may make their father's 
God their God, and embrace that Savior whom 
he loved and served so well. 

Bro. Boone was nearly or quite six feet in 
height, slenderly built, weighing, perhaps, not 
more than 150 lbs. He had dark hair and eyes, 
an earnest expression and a pleasant voice. He 
was a genial companion and a delightful conver- 
sationalist. Those who knew him best loved him 
most. He died without a fear, committing his 
wife and children to that God, whose he was and 
whom he served. Of him it may truly be said : 
also, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, 
yea saith the Spirit, they rest from their labors 
and their works do follow them." 

ELDER WILLIAM PARKER. 

Among the pioneer preachers of Western Mo., 
especially in Johnson, Cass and Bates Counties, no 
name is more frequently mentioned nor more 
gratefully remembered than that which stands at 
the head of this sketch. 

Elder Parker was born near Baltimore, Mary- 
land, in the year 1792, and was brought by his 
parents to Bourbon Co., Ky., in his early childhood. 
He grew up among the hardy pioneers of that fa- 
vored section of the country. In his early man- 
hood he was converted and became a member of 



HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 561 

the old Christian church. He soon evinced con- 
siderable speaking ability, was a good singer, a 
devoted and zealous disciple and realizing that the 
desire, the ability and the opportunity to preach 
the gospel, is a divine call to the ministry, he was 
soon enrolled among the zealous and active min- 
istry of the reformatory movement, with which 
Barton W. Stone, T. M. Allen, Joel H. Haden, F. 
R. Palmer and others so well known, were at first 
connected. In the diary of Elder T. M. Allen and 
in the early reports of meetings throughout that 
section of the country, his name very often occurs. 
^ATien the union between those who were called 
Reformed Baptists and the old Christian church 
occurred, Bro. Parker was not only among the 
warmest advocates of the movement, but did much 
towards its accomplishment. He continued active 
in the ministry of the united churches until his 
removal to Mo., which occurred in the year 1841. 
Coming to Mo., he settled in the neighborhood of 
Pleasant Hill, and entered again actively upon 
the work of preaching the gospel. He was again 
intimately associated with his former co-laborer, 
Elder F. R,. Palmer who had settled at Independ- 
ence, Jackson county. Bro. Parker was Yery 
largely instrumental in planting the earlier 
churches throughout the country adjacent to his 
home. He was a large man, with a tremendous 
physical constitution. He had a strong voice, and 
was said to be ''powerful in exhortation." So far 

36 



662 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH IN" MISSOURI. 

as his education was concerned, it was such as the 
pioneer schools of Kentucky furnished, and he 
took great pleasure and felt much pride in being 
acknowledged as the man of one book. He reared 
a large family, all of whom are respectable mem- 
bers of society, and devoted members of the 
church. The faith of this man of God is manifest 
in his grand-children and great grand- children. 
Elder W. F. Parker of Clinton county, is his 
grand-son. This veteran soldier of the cross, like 
most of his co -laborers, wrought without salary 
and much of the time without compensation, de- 
pending upon the labor of his hands, to supply 
bread for himself and his family, and yet God so 
blessed him that he did not want. He labored 
more or less up to the time of his death which 
occurred in the year 1873. He was in his 83rd 
year. He passed away in the blessed hope of the 
gospel, respected by all and greatly beloved by 
his family and his brethren. 



CHAPTER XXXYI. 

Al^NUAL AND STATE MEETINGS OF THE 
CHRISTIAiSr CHURCHES IN AIISSOURI. 

The first of these, of which we have any reliable 
information, was held at the Bear Creek Church, 
in Boone county, commencing on the 22d day of 
September, 1837. 

In his journal. Elder Thomas M. Allen, thus 
speaks of this meeting, September 22d : Our an- 
nual meeting commenced at Bear Creek meeting- 
house in Boone county. The meeting continued 
till Tuesday, the 26th. The congregations were 
large and very attentive. A great many brethren 
from a distance were in attendance. Twenty-four 
churches sent in either written or verbal communi- 
cations, all of which were in the county of Boone, 
Howard, Randolph and Calloway. Six persons 
confessed the Lord Jesus, and some were added 
by letter. I immersed sister Lydia Cox and 
brother McKinney. Brother Wills immersed sis- 
ter Lenoir and Albina Snell. The most perfect 
harmony, good feeling and brotherly love 
abounded throughout the meeting. The next 
annual meeting was appointed to be held in Paris, 
Monroe county, commencing the fourth Lord's day ' 
in September, 1838. The following teaching 
brethren were present : Thomas McBride, Joel H. 

563 



564 THE CHRISTIAIS- CHURCH IN" MISSOURI. 

Haden, James McBride, William White, Joel 
Prewitt, James Coons, Jacob Coons, N". Ridgeway, 
William Reed, Bro. Williams, Marcus P. Wills, 
Thomas M. Allen and Richard Roberts. The 
names of those who confessed the Lord, were : 
Isaac McKinney, Mrs. Persinger, Mr. Chiles, Lydia 
Cox, Mrs. Lenoir, Albina Snell, and sister Orear 
joined by letter. 

It will be seen that the object of this annual 
gathering was to hear reports from the churches, 
to preach the gospel to sinners, and to enjoy 
social and religious intercourse with one another. 
It is not intimated that the meeting had any busi- 
ness feature, not even a president to preside or a 
secretary to record their proceedings. Of the 
meeting appointed to be held in Paris, September, 
1838, brother Allen's journal contains the follow- 
ing : 

September 21st, Friday. I set out early in the 
morning, with brother Woodson, to attend our 
annual meeting in Paris. In the Grand Prairie 
we were overtaken by a violent storm of rain, the 
first for several weeks. We stopped with Hugh 
Wethers, who treated us with great kindness and 
hospitality. 22d. After early breakfast, we put 
off and reached Paris before meeting. Written 
and verbal communications were received from 
twenty-eight churches, containing about 1,433 
members, and having received 351 additions dur- 
ing the year. The following teaching brethren 



ANNUAL AND STATE MEETINGS. 565 

were present, viz : J McBride, Sr., M. P. "Wills, T. 
Thompson, W. Woodson, Jacob Coons, jS". Ridge- 
waj, T. M. Allen, M. Sidenor, William Eeed, G. 
Jackman, Martin Yivion and Joel Piewitt; also, 
brother Sandy E. Jones and J. P. Lancaster, from 
the Mississippi counties ; also, brother William 
Stirman, from Arkansas. It was a very interest- 
ing meeting. Brotherly love and Christian affec- 
tion prevailed ; good feeling and perfect harmony 
were seen throughout the meeting. Crowds at- 
tended the preaching of the word up to Monday 
evening, when brother Woodson and I started for 
home ; the meeting, however, going on. Three 
persons confessed the Lord before we left. Sev- 
eral hundred sat down together on the Lord's day 
to partake of the Lord's supper. The meeting 
continued until Wednesday, the 25th of Septem- 
ber. Fourteen persons in all confessed the Savior 
and obeyed the gospel. 

The annual meeting for 1839 was held in Fulton, 
beginning September 12th. Of this meeting, 
brother Allen's journal says : "Some t^n or twelve 
of our friends stayed with us last night on their 
way to the annual meeting. Becca, myself and 
the children started to Fulton to the annual meet- 
ing. We got there to dinner. 13th, Lord's day. 
The meeting still going on ; a vast crowd. Preach- 
ing continued morning, noon and night. Six con- 
fessions up to this evening. Immense crowds and 
great attention. The preachers present were : 



566 THE CHEISTIAN CHURCH Ili MISSOURI. 

B. W. Stone, J. P. Lancaster, M. P. Wills, S. E. 
Jones, William Reed, A. Rice, James and Jacob 
Coons, D. Davis, Douglas, T. M. Allen and War- 
ren Woodson. Thirty churches were heard from, 
in which there had been 429 additions during the 
last year. These churches contain 1,846 members. 
The different churches agreed to meet at Bear 
Creek, on Saturday before the fourth Lord's day 
in JS'ovember, to take the necessary steps to start 
out evangelists. Great harmony and good feeling 
prevailed throughout the meeting. 15th. I started 
home but left brother Lancaster and Woodson to 
continue the meeting." 

It will be seen, as an outgrowth of these annual 
meetings, it was agreed to meet at Bear Creek to 
take the necessary steps to "start out evangelists." 

1840. I do not find any record of the proposed 
meeting "to take the necessary steps to start out 
evangelists," but of the Annual Meeting for 
1840, the following occurs in Brother Allen's jour- 
nal : " October 3rd. I went to Fayette to the An- 
nual Meeting. 4th, 1st Lord's day. Still at the 
Annual Meeting. I preached in the forenoon. 
Brothers Lancaster, T. McBride, S. E. Jones, Wil- 
liam White, William Benton, Joel Prewitt, M. 
Vivian and Elgin and myself, of the preaching 
brethren, were present at the meeting until 2 
o'clock P. M., when I was compelled to leave. 
Churches were heard from, and additions made 
during the last year reported. Nine confessed the 



AXXCAL AXD STATE MEETINGS. 567 

Lord up to the time I left ; and tlie meeting was 
still progressing. Great harmony and good feel- 
ing throughout." 

First State 2Ieeting o.t Fayette held in Se2:)tember 
1841, the 10th day. Of this meeting Brother xll- 
len writes in his journal as follows: '"'September 
9th. Becca and I started to Fayette to attend the 
State Meeting of the Church of Christ. Spent the 
night at Mr. Garth's. 10th, Friday. Started early 
in company with a number of our friends ; reached 
there early in the afternoon. 11th. Three meet- 
ings to-day. 12th, 2nd Lord's day. The largest 
religious collection I ever saw in the State of Mis- 
souri. It was supposed there were between three 
and five thousand persons present, and from four 
to five hundred communicants at the Lord's table. 
13th. Meeting three times to-day. 14th. The 
same. 15th. Meeting as usual to-day, at night 
it closed. Fifty-two accessions to the good cause 
were obtained during the meeting. A few from 
the Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians; the 
most however, from the world by faith and obe- 
dience. Elders J. P. Lancaster and Allen Wright 
were appointed State evangelists. The next 
State meeting to be held in Fayette, to commence 
on Friday before the 4th Lord's day of May 1843. 
The following preachers were present: Brother 
Hatchett from Illinois, Brother Thomas Smith of 
Kentucky, F. R. Palmer, J. H. Haden, J. P. Lan- 
caster, H. L. Boone, Joel Prewitt, W. Burton, M. 



568 THE CHEISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOUEI. 

P. Wills, T. M. Allen, W. White, William Reed, 
Henry Thomas, with several others. Seventy-twa 
churches were heard from, numbering some five 
thousand members. 'Glory to God in the high- 
est.'" 

The State Meeting differed from the Annual 
Meeting only in the large attendance of preach- 
ers, and in the choosing of State evangelists. It 
is not said how they were to be supported ; in- 
deed there is a singular silence on the whole ques- 
tion of finance in the records of the meetings of 
these early days. The presumption is that these 
evangelists were sent out to get what might be 
given them and they were expected to live on what 
they got. There was no treasury behind them to 
supply deficits. From the organization of the 
State Meeting, the interest in what was called the 
Annual Meeting began to wane ; hence of the 
meeting at Bear Creek for 1842 we find the follow- 
ing brief notes in Brother Allen's journal; ''Octo- 
ber 21st. Our Annual meeting commenced to- 
day at Bear Creek. Brother Hatchett and George 
Taylor preached. 22nd. At the Annual Meeting 
again. An immense congregation. Between two 
and three hundred communicants. 24th. At- 
tended the Meeting of the Board of Curators; 
also the examination of the students in the Uni- 
versity, and then went to the meeting at Bear 
Creek. 25th. Attended the annual meeting again. 
There were three additions by faith and obedi- 



ANNUAL AND STATE MEETINGS. 569 

ence, during the meeting. Brother H. L. Boone, 
Levi Hatchett, G. E. Taylor, Joseph and Jacob 
Coons, William Reed, James Williams, M. P. 
Wills, T. M. Allen, W. Lee, Elijah Chrisman, M. 
Sidenor, and Fielding Gosney. Great harmony 
prevailed. 

Of the State Meeting, in 1843, the following note 
is found : " May 26th. Went to Fayette. Our State 
Meeting commenced, and continued till Tuesday 
evening. Seventy-eight churches were heard from, 
having 5166 members, and had obtained 2854 
additions since our last State meeting. Forty-two 
churches that reported at the last State meeting, 
were not heard from at this. The following 
preachers were present, viz : William Reed, Sam- 
uel Rogers, H. Tomas, T. M. Allen, A. Wright, T. 
Thompson, Joseph Coons, J. Alexander, W. 
White, M. Sidenor, L. Hatchett, Jacob Coons, W. 
H. Hopson, M. A. Ferris, B. W. Hall, E. Valen- 
tine, C. Russell, W. Burton, T. B. Marsh and Joel 
Prewitt. It was a glorious meeting. Thirteen 
additions ; ten by faith and baptism. Appointed 
another State meeting to commence in Fayette on 
Friday before the 3d Lord's day in May, 1844." 
It will be seen that there is no mention made of 
the evangelists which were appointed at the pre- 
ceding meeting, one of whom was present. The 
presumption is that he reported verbally his 
labors and the results of the meetings held, and 
that was the end of it. It will also appear 



570 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

that DO president was mentioned ; no secre- 
tary chosen. It was a mass meeting in which 
the order was agreed on by the preachers after 
their arrival on the ground. 

' 1844. Of this meeting the following minute is 
made : " May 18th. Dr. Smith and myself rode to 
Fayette to-day, in the rain. Brother Brown 
preached at night. 19th. 3d Lord's day. Brother 
Oreath preached at 11 o'clock, brother Kendrick 
at 3 o'clock and brother J. T. Jones at night. Rain 
all day. 20th. Brother Kendrick preached at 11 
o'clock, brother Wills at 3 o'clock, and brother 
Creath at night. Rain all day. Nine additions ; 
four by faith and baptism, and one from the Bap- 
tists. After the baptizing, brother Wills and my 
self returned home. It was a pleasant and inter- 
esting meeting. The following preachers were 
present, viz : Henry Thomas, J. Creath, Allen 
Wright, M. P. Wills, J. S. Allen, Thomas Thomp- 
son, S. S. Church, William White, William Bur- 
ton, B. W. Hall, W. S. Fox and Joel Prewitt. 
Also Elders Allen Kendrick and Thomas Browson 
of Kentucky, and J. T. Jones of Illinois. Eighty- 
one churches were heard from, having 5643 mem- 
bers, and having 1382 additions since our last 
State meeting. Appointed the next State meeting 
to be held in Columbia, Boone county, on Friday, 
before the 3d Lord's in October 16th, 1845." 

In his journal, brother Allen says: *' Brother 
Alexander Campbell, of Bethany, Virginia, John 



ANNUAL AND STATE MEETINGS. 571 

Bogers, of Kentucky, John T. Jones and Joseph 
Patton of Illinois J Jacob Creath Jr., G. E. Taylor, 
Livy Hatchett and Leroy Hatchett, and brother 
Fife of St. Louis, arrived at my house, dined and 
spent the night with me. It was the first time 
brother Campbell ever made a visit at my house. 
October 17th. Our State meeting commenced in 
Columbia. Brother Campbell spoke in the fore- 
noon, and brother Patton at 3 p. m., and brother 
Rogers at night. 19th, 3d Lord's day. Brother 
Campbell spoke in the morning, brother Creath in 
the afternoon and brother Gaines at night. The 
Lord's Supper was attended to to-day. It was sup- 
posed that one thousand persons partook of the 
loaf, and that five thousand persons were present. 
20th, Monday. Brother Campbell gave a splendid 
lecture on Education, this morning, when about 
$400 was subscribed for the benefit of Bethany 
College. He left this afternoon for upper Mis- 
souri. 21. Brother Creath spoke this morning 
when our meeting was closed in great harmony 
and peace. The meeting was numerously attended 
from first to last. On Saturday, the 18th inst., we 
met to hear from the churches. Brother Fife of 
St. Louis, was appointed secretary. 

One hundred and ninety-six churches were 
heard from, having 13,057 members, with 1740 
additions reported to have been made since our 
last State meeting. The next State meeting was 
appointed to be held in Lexington, to commence 



572 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IT^" MISSOURI. 

ou Friday, before the 3rd Lord's day in Oct., 1646. 
One accession was obtained, a brother Wilber, 
who had been a Baptist, united with us in Colum- 
bia. Brother Campbell more than met the expec- 
tations of the public and delighted the listening 
thousands, who heard him, except a few Presby- 
terians and other bigots. The other brethren who 
spoke also acquitted themselves like able minis- 
ters of the word. It was a glorious meeting, not the 
least jar or unpleasant feeling occurred to inter- 
rupt. The preachers present were: A. Campbell 
of Ya., John Rogers of Ky., John T. Jones and 
Joseph Patton of Ills., Jacob Creath Jr., Allen 
Wright, Henry Thomas, T. M. Allen, M. P. Wills, 
S. S. Church, T. N. Gaines, W. Burton, T. Ford, E. 
Fruit, W. White, H. L. Boone, L. and L. Hatch- 
ett, George E. Taylor, J. S. Williams, W. Lee, E. 
Chrisman, brother Doaglass, Doctor Russell, T. 
Thompson, M. A. Ferris, brother McSwain, R. 
Roberts and Martin Vivian. The presence of Mr. 
Campbell at this meeting, gave it unusual inter- 
est." Of this his first visit to Missouri, brother 
Allen thus writes : 

Boo]s-E County, Mo., November 3d, 1845. 
Brother Arney : — As brother Campbell is now 
in Missouri, I will address this letter to you. You 
have doubtless learned that brother Campbell 
arrived in Columbia on the 16th ult. Our State 
meeting commenced the next morning, and con- 



ANNUAL AND STATE MEETINGS. 573 

tinned, until Tuesday following. It was very num- 
erously attended. On Lord's day, it was supposed 
that four thousand persons were present, and that 
at least one thousand partook of the Lord's Sup- 
per. Brother Campbell spoke once a day for four 
days. On Monday he closed his labors in Colum- 
bia by a splendid address on Education, and an 
appeal to his audience in behalf of Bethany Col- 
lege; which was responded to by many present. 
On Monday evening he started west to meet his 
engagements in upper Missouri. 

The weather was very fine throughout the meet- 
ing, and on Lord's day it was so pleasant that we 
worsl^ipped in a grove adjoining the town ; so that 
every one, who desired it, had an opportunity to 
hear brother Campbell. One very intelligent 
Baptist brother, united with us on the last day of 
the meeting. One hundred and fifty four churches 
were heard from, having 11,716 members, with 
1,740 additions during the past year. Forty- two 
churches reported to our meeting in 1844, were 
not heard from at this meeting. They had last 
years, 1,342 members which added the the above 
would make 13,057 members, and one hundred 
and ninety six churches in the State. That, how 
ever, is but a partial account, as there are many 
churches in the State from which no intelligence 
has been received ; neither was their anything like 
a full report of the additions made since the last 
State meeting. It is generally believed, if we 



574 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MISSOURI. 

could hear from all the congregation in the State, 
there would be considerably upward of fifteen 
thousand members. 

On last Friday I met Brother Campbell in 
Fayette, Howard county, where he addressed an 
immense congregation. The Methodist friends 
kindly tendered him the use of the College 
Chapel, the largest room in town, which was 
accepted. The next day we went to Paris, about 
fifty miles distant, where Brother Campbell ad- 
dressed a large audience on Saturday night. 
Lord's day at 11 o'clock, and at candle light. 
This morning we were compelled to take " the 
parting hand," Brother Campbell going to Pal- 
myra and Hannibal and thence to Illinois. I 
reached home late this evening. One Presbyter- 
ian, and three from the world, who heard the 
word and believed, were baptized in* the name of 
the Lord Jesus. Our Presbyterian friends let us 
worship in their large and commodious house. I 
take great pleasure in saying that Brother Camp- 
bell has fully sustained himself, and, if possible, 
more than met public expectation in Missouri, and 
has a very favorable hearing throughout the 
country. Our brethren and the vast crowds of 
non-professors who heard him were delighted 
with his efforts. It was pleasing to see so many 
of the different denominations attending, and who 
seemed, with few exceptions, much gratified ; a 
few bigots opposed, but their number is so incon- 



AITNUAL AND STATE MEETINGS. 575 

siderable it amounts to nothing. I will send you 
a more particular account of our State meeting. 
The next meeting was appointed to be held at 
Lexington, and to commence on Friday before the 
third Lord's day in October 1846. Thirty preach- 
ers attended our meeting. Affectionately, Your 
Brother, T. M. Allen. 

1846. The meeting at Lexington convened on 
the 16th of October and adjourned on the 19th. 
Preachers present at this meeting were : F. R. 
Palmer, T. M. Allen, S. S. Church, T. N. Gaines, 
William Parker, Bro. Elgin, C. P. Arbuckle. 
Eighty-eight churches were heard from having a 
membership of 8,945, and having received 1008 
additions since the last meeting. One hundred 
and twenty-six churches reported to previous meet- 
ings were not heard from at this time. These had, 
when reported, 7,714 members, making a total of 
14,659 members and 214 churches. This meeting 
adjourned to meet at Fayette third Lord's day in 
October 1848. 

The Annual meetings which were abandoned for 
the State meetings were resumed ; one was held 
in Huntsville in 1846, and one in Paris in 1847. 

1848. October 13th. The State Meeting con- 
vened in Fayette and continued till the 16th. At 
this meeting ten persons confessed Christ on the 
Lord's day. One hundred and thirty two 
churches were heard from, having 7,988 members, 
with 1,144 additions during the last year. Many 



576 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IT^ MISSOURI. 

other churclies are reported. Preachers present 
were : Joel H. Haden, F. R. Palmer, T. M. Allen, 
M. P. Wills, J. T. Jones, T. K Gaines, A. Wright, 
W. H. Hopson, T. Thomson, Dr. Swinford, L. 
Elgin, W. Burton, H. Fisher, W. White, Brother 
Prather, G. Jackman, John T. Hudson, J. S. Pat- 
ton, C. P. Arbuckle, J. H. Johnson, A. Procter, 
Elders D. P. Henderson and Majors of Illinois and 
Brother Hendrick of Iowa. The meeting unani- 
mously decided in favor of the American Bible 
Society at Cincinnati, Ohio. The next meeting 
was appointed to be held at Paris, third Lord's 
day in October 1849. 

1849. At the meeting in Paris, a considerable 
number of additions were gained, and the time 
wholly taken up in preaching the gospel. The 
meeting was largely attended. Preachers present 
were : James Shannon, LL. D. and E. A. Smith 
from Kentucky, Brother Piatt from Illinois, J. H. 
Haden, T. M. Allen, W. White, D. P. Henderson, 
H. Thomas, J. Coons, A. Wilson, G. Jackman, 
W. C. Boone, A. Procter, Brother Phenix, G. W. 
Longan, D. T. Morton. The number of churches 
and additions were not reported. The next meet- 
ing was appointed to be held at Fayette, the sec- 
ond Lord's day in October 1850. The most 
noticeable feature of this meeting was the pres- 
ence of President James Shannon, afterwards 
President of Missouri University and Elder D. P. 
Henderson, whose coming to Missouri marked a 



AN'I^UAL AjS^D state MEETIIS'GS. 577 

new era in the evangelistic work among tlie 
cliurches. The largest meetings ever held in 
State and the most successfnl, were those held 
during the first few years of his residence in the 
State. In his day no man excelled him as an 
evangelist. 

1850. There is no record of the meeting at 
Fayette in 1850, but the meeting was held, and no 
doubt passed off as those which went before it. 
At the time of the meeting a "debate" was in 
progress at New Bloomfield, in Calloway Countyj 
which prevented many of the preachers from at- 
tending. At that day a debate was regarded as 
of much more importance than the " State Meet- 
ing." 

1853. The State meeting convened at Glasgow, 
Mo., on Friday before the third Lord's day in 
October. To indicate the small amount of work 
done at these meetings, the following minute 
from the journal of Brother Allen is reproduced: 
"Saturday, 29th. I reached Glasgow early in the 
morning. The brethren met at ten o'clock for 
business ; the meeting had been organized and 
most of the business transacted before my arrival. 
Bro. Allen Wright preached at 11 o'clock. Met 
at 2:30 P. M. for business; adjourned at 4 P. M., 
sine die. Bro. J. Creath was chairman and Bro. 
J. T. Jones was secretary. The only business 
transacted was the appointment of James N. 
Wright and T. P. Haley, evangelists for whkt was 

37 



578 THE CHRISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOUKI. 

then known as the third Congressional District of 
Missouri. They were to preach in all the county 
seats in Northeast Missouri, and were to receive 
each $400 provided they could raise it in the field. 
Preachers present were : F. R. Palmer, J. Creath, 
J. T. Jones, T. N. Gaines, A. Wright, A. Procter, 
John W. McGarvey, N. W. Miller, T. P. Haley, 
W. Burton, W. C. Boone, Jas. Berry, D. P. Hen- 
derson and T. M. Allen." 

1854. The meeting was held this year with the 
church in Paris, Mo., but of its work I find no 
minute. 

1855. The State meeting was held in George- 
town, Mo. At this meeting a committee consist- 
ing of Elders Joel H. Haden, T. M. Allen, Allen 
Wright and Hiram Bledsoe was appointed to 
visit the churches in Platte county, especially at 
Hainesville, Smithville, Gilead, Camden Point and 
Savannah, to adjust certain difficulties which had 
arisen and which the churches seemed unable, 
themselves to adjust. This committee was kind- 
ly received ; did their work and succeeded in re- 
storing peace to the disturbed congregations. 
This was the first time in the history of Missouri 
churches where outside aid was called in to ad- 
just difficulties, and yet no one was able to see in 
such kindly office any attempt to interfere with 
the independence of the individual congregation. 
The committee claimed no authority to interfere, 
but went simply at the instance of their brethren 



ATTN UAL AISTD STATE MEETIN"GS. 579 

to offer their advice and assistance. "What was 
then an experiment, has proved a blessing to 
many of tlie churches. While a committee sent 
hy the State meeting went without authority, it 
had the moral support of all the preachers and 
churches represented. It would Ibe a hazardous 
thing for a church to reject such kindly offers of 
aid. 

1856. The meeting was held at Lexington. 
The most noticeable feature of this meeting was 
the report of the Peace Committee appointed at 
Georgetown. They reported that they had per- 
formed their duties, had been eminently success- 
ful, and that comparative peace and quiet had 
been restored to the churches that had been for 
some years in great confusion. A movement was 
inaugurated to create a fund for the education of 
young men for the ministry. Some money was 
raised and two young men were aided to some 
extent at Bethany College. At this meeting for 
the first time ap|)eared Dr. J. W. Cox, formerly of 
Kentucky, A. B. Jones of Tennessee and other 
young ministers. The meeting adjourned to meet 
in Liberty, Mo., in October, 1857. 

1857. The meeting was held pursuant to ad- 
journment, at Liberty, Mo., and was well at- 
tended. Nearly all the preachers of Platte i 
county were in attendance. At this meeting 
Elder A. B. Jones, J. W. Cox, J. W. McGrarvey, 
the writer and other young men were appointed 



580 THE CHEISTIAI^ CHUECH IJ^ MISSOURI. 

to preacli. It was an evidence of the unselfish- 
ness of the older preachers, and perhaps a cour- 
tesy extended to the young men at the expense of 
the vast congregation in attendance. They doubt- 
less came to hear the older men and better preach- 
ers. There was this peculiarity however, about 
the State meeting addresses of that day; each 
speaker was chosen after he was on the ground by 
the elders of the church where the meeting w;is 
held. He chose his own theme and treated it in 
his own way. 

1858. The State Meeting was held in Columbia, 
commencing September 1. Elder Jacob Creath 
was chosen chairman and J. K. Rogers secretary 
and Alexander Procter, treasurer. The following 
preachers were present : Elder John Smith of Ken- 
tucky, Prof. W. K. Pendleton of Ya., Jacob 
Creath, T. M. Allen, J. K. Eogers, L. B. Wilkes, 
J. H. Haden, A. Procter, J. W. McGarvey, John 
O. White, T. N. Gaines, J. McCune, D. B. Davis 
D. S. Burnett of Ohio, John A. Sidenor, James 
A. Meng, J. Atkinson, J. D. Dawson, H. S. Earl 
and Bro. Taylor. Bro. Burnett was present to 
represent the "American Christian Missionary 
Society," and Prof. Pendleton the interests of 
Bethany College. There were two sermons each 
day and "' much business transacted," but what 
the " business " was does not appear, except that 
Elder T. M. Allen was unanimously elected State 
Evangelist, a highly complimentary appointment. 



ANNUAL AND STATE MEETINGS. 581 

Raccoon John Smith was also an attraction at 
this meeting, He preached on Lord's day at the 
Presbyterian Church to an immense congregation. 
Bro. Creath spoke in the Baptist church. At 3 
o'clock the meeting convened in the Christian 
Church to ''break bread." The house was near- 
ly full of communicants. Bro. Smith gave a 
solemn valedictory, and bade us farewell and 
went to Providence to ascend the river to meet 
other appointments. 

1859. The State meeting convened in Glasgow, 
September 1. Of this meeting I find the follow- 
ing notice in the diary of Brother Allen. 

"September 1. Yesterday I went to Columbia on 
my way to the State meeting, which was appoint- 
ed to commence in Glasgow, Howard County. 
On yesterday Bro. Rogers preached in Columbia 
and I exhorted. We lodged at the City Hotel; at 
3 o'clock this morning we took the stage ; break- 
fasted in Rocheport and reached Glasgow at 2 
o'clock P. M. Dined at Bro. Alfred Roper's and 
met in State meeting at 3 o'clock P. M. Bro. 
Weston F. Birch was elected chairman and J. K. 
Rogers, secretary. Bro. John Rogers of Kentucky 
preached last night, Bro. T. P. Haley at 11 o'clock 
to-day and Bro. L. B. Wilkes at night. I exhort- 
ed. Much interesting business was presented and 
there was considerable discussion. 

Sept. 3d, Saturday. Met in prayer-meeting at 
7 A. M., and at 7 o'clock p. M. Bro. J. Rogers 



582 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH I]S" MISSOUEI. 

of Kentucky, preached at 11 o'clock, and brother 
M. E. Lard at 8 p. m. The balance of the day 
spent in " church meeting." Preachers present : 
J. Rogers, of Ky., Elders J. H.Haden, T. M. 
Allen, M. E. Lard, A. Nelson, A. Procter, J. 
W. Cox, L. B. Wilkes, J. K. Eogers, J. D. Daw- 
son, T. P. Haley, H. H. Haley, H. S. Earl, 
Jno. McCane, J. Atkinson, brother Carter, J. A. 
Meng, J. W. McGarvey and O. P. Davis. Sept. 4th, 
Sunday. Brother Rogers preached at 11 a. m., in 
our meeting house, brother Lard at the Methodist 
church ; at 3 o'clock, met at the Christian church 
to attend to the Lord's Supper. There were many 
communicants. It was a glorious meeting. Each 
speaker, Haden and Rogers, gave an account of 
his life and early Christian experience. Met on 
Monday morning, and adjourned to meet on Thurs- 
day, before the 1st Lord's day in Sept., 1860, in 
Glasgow." 

1860. State meeting convened pursuant to ad- 
journment with the following preachers present : 
J. K. Rogers, J. H. Haden, T. M. Allen, A. Proc- 
ter, J. W. McGarvey, J. W. Cox, W. Barton, John 
A. Gano of Kentucky, and Isaac Errett of Michi- 
gan, also W. C. Boon. Brother Errett was pres- 
ent, as the Cor. Secretary of A. C. M. S., and Bro. 
Gano as the guest of brother T. M. Allen. On the 
Lord's day brother Errett preached at the Metho- 
dist church, and brother Gano at the Christian 
hurch. In the afternoon, met at the Christian 



ANiSTAL AIS^D STATE MEETINGS. 583 

church to break bread. There is no account of 
any "business" done. The mutterings of war 
were heard in the distance, and many brethren 
had been detained. The meeting adjourned to 
meet in Columbia the following year. 

1861. Of the meeting this year we find the fol- 
lowing notes : 

"Aug. 30. I went to Columbia to attend our an- 
nual meet; brother Dibble preached afc 11 o'clock, 
A. M. Brother Marlow preached last night. Bro. 
Bush, White, Naylor, Rogers, Dawson and myself 
of the preaching brethren were present. The State 
meeting was organized by appointing T. M. Allen 
chairman, and J. K. Rogers secretary. The prin- 
cipal business done was to change the annual 
meeting into a. State Missionary Society and to 
appoint J. W. MGarvey, A. Procter and myself a 
committee to draft a constitution, and with power 
to convene the State meeting whenever the condi- 
tion of the country and the interest of the Brother- 
hood would permit. On Lord's day, brother Joel 
H. Haden preached in the Christian church, Bro. 
Dibble in the Baptist, and in the afternoon, the 
meeting convened in the Christian church, to 
attend to the Lord's Supper. Brother Allen pre- 
sided, a large number present and many from a 
distance. The meeting closed on Monday. The 
Civil War was already raging and Missouri was 
soon overrun with the troops of both parties. The 
brethren were soon scattered, and many of the 



584 THE CHEISTIAIT CHUECH IN" MISSOUEI. 

churches well nigh destroyed. Under these cir- 
cumstances, no attempt was made to convene the 
State meeting, until May, 1864, when a call was 
made by the writer, seconded by most of the 
straggling brethren remaining in the State. The 
meeting was held in Chillicothe, Missouri, and an 
attempt made to set the work going again. Elder 
Ben. J. Lockhart was evangelist, and entered upon 
his work. But notwithstanding the close of the 
war, the State was in such confusion the next year 
that no meeting was held, and no report was 
heard of the labors of brother Lockhart. The re- 
ports in the religious papers for that year, how- 
ever, will show that he did a good work. Whether 
he was compensated for his labor or not, does not 
appear. 

Ths next meeting was held in Columbia, in the 
year 1868, when the project of building the Mis- 
souri Female Orphan School was inaugurated. In 
1869, the Louisville plan of missionary work, was 
anticipated by the appointment of A. B. Jones as 
State Evangelist. He districted the State of Mis- 
souri, and by the next year, the State meeting 
became the Missionary Convention of the State of 
Missouri, and since that date, the minutes have 
been published and are accessible to all who may 
desire further information of the "f^-nnual Gather- 
ings of the churches of Missouri. 



THE CHKISTIAN CHUECH IN MISSOURI. 585 

The twenty years that have elapsed between the 
last meeting here mentioned and the time at 
which these closing lines are written, have been 
marked by a most cheering growth in numbers, 
wealth, organization and missionary activity. 
The large, orderly and enthusiastic missionary 
conventions now held in Missouri, annually, con- 
trast most favorably Avitli the informal mass 
meetings of those ante helium days. And yet 
those were grand meetings in their way, and did 
much to foster the spirit of unity among the 
churches, and to prepare the way for better 
things. While the number of preachers present 
at our annual State Conventions now greatly ex- 
cels the handful of preachers who attended those 
early meetings, we have no grander men — ^none 
more devoted to God's word nor fuller of the 
spirit of sacrifice — than the noble spirits who were 
the pioneers of our movement in Missouri and 
who rallied the straggling and scattered forces 
together in those heroic days. Let us cherish 
their memory and imitate their virtues, while we 
go forward to accomplish the grander achieve- 
ments and participate in the larger triumphs 
which their eyes were not permitted to see. 



IJSTDEX 



ALPHABTICAL LIST OF COLLEGES MENTIONED. 



Alexander College, 72. 

Baptist College, 73. 

Central College, 73. 

Central Wesle^'an College, 74. 

Drury College, 75. 

Grand River College, 75. 

Hannibal College, 75. 

Howard High School, 74. 

Hardin College, 76. 

La Grange College, 76. 

Lincoln Institute, 77. 

Lindenwood Female College, 
77. 

Marionville Collegiate Insti- 
tute, 78. 



Missouri School of Mines and 

Metallurgy', 78. 
North Missouri State Normal 

School, 79. 
St. Paul's College, 80. 
Southeast Missouri Normal 

School, 80. 
State Normal School, 81. 
St. Louis University, 81. 
Stephen's College, 81. 
Synodical Female College, 82. 
Tha3'er College, 82. 
University of Missouri, 82. 
Washington University, 86. 
William Jewell College, 87. 



ALPHABETICAL LIST OF PIONEER CHURCHES. 



Antioch Church, 93. 
Antioch (south of Paris), 174. 
Antioch, 347. 
Agency Ford, 883. 
Ashland, 145. 
Bear Creek Church, 141. 
Bethel Church, 381. 
Big Creek Church, 375. 
Barry Church, 346. 
Brush Creek Church, 373. 
Brunswick Church, 236. 
Boonsborough Church, 181. 
Battsville Church, 231. 
Berea Church, 168. 
Brookings Church, 182. 
Cairo Church, 353. 
Columbia Church, 140. 
Centralia Church, 145. 
Cameron Church, 353. 
Camden Point Church, 367. 



Chillicothe Church, 278. 
Carrollton Church, 220. 
Dover Church, 128. 
Dover Church, 201. 
De Kalb Church, 380. 
Dewitt Church, 230. 
Dansville Church, 265. 
Elkhorn Church, 216. 
East Fork Church, 254. 
Evans Church, 286. 
Edina Church, 251. 
Friendship Church, 144. 
Fairview Church, 353. 
Forks of Chariton Church, 239. 
Fayette Church, 178. 
Freedom Church, 207. 
Granville Church, 174. 
Goshen Church, 288. 
Gilead Church, 343. 
Glasgow Church, 182. 
587 



588 



INDEX. 



Greenton Valley Church, 205. 
Georgetown Church, 259. 
Gosneyville Church, 346. 
Huntsville Church, 129. 
Hurricane Township Church, 

230. 
Hale City Church, 231. 
Hainesville Church, 349. 
Holt Church, 353. 
Hackberry Church, 365. 
Hickory Grove Church, 373. 
Haj^es Creek Church, 463. 
Houston Church, 473. 
Hannibal Church, 469. 
Independence Church, 534. 
Jacksonville Church, 131. 
Knoxville Church, 216. 
Kearney Church, 345. 
Kansas City Church, 536. 
Lexington Church, 199. 
Lone Elm Church, 256. 
Lamine Church, 256. 
Lindley Church, 285. 
Linneus Church, 289. 
Liberty Church, 342. 
Log Church, 349. 
Lick Creek Church, -463. 
La Plata Church, 519. 
Lancaster Church, 531. 
Lone Jack Church, 532. 
Moberly Church, 132. 
Middle Grove Church, 169. 
Madison Church, 170. 
Monroe City Church, 174. 
Mount Pleasant Church, 180. 
Millville Church, 216. 
Mandaville Church, 228. 
Macon Church, 242. 
Montgomery City Church, 268. 
Middleburg Church, 287. 
Milan Church, 289. 
Missouri City Church, 347. 
Mount Zion Church, 473. 
Norborne Church, 230. 
New Ark Church, 251. 
New Market Church, 370. 



Old Republican Church, 203. 
Old Bloomington Church, 241. 
Otterville Church, 258. 
Old Union Church, 259. 
Old Bethel Church, 366. 
Olivet Church, 460. 
Paris Church, 165. 
Pleasant Green Church, 183. 
Putnam County Churches, 251. 
Princeton Church, 287. 
Plattsburg Church, 351. 
Platte City Church, 371. 
Palmyra Church, 472. 
Pisgah, 255. 
Renick Church, 133. 
Red Top Church, 139. 
Rocheport Church, 141. 
Richland Church, 181. 
Richmond Church, 214. 
Ridgely Church, 373. 
Sturgeon Church, 145. 
Santa Fee Church, 169. 
Shelbina Church, 174. 
South Point Church, 217. 
Shelbyville Church, 244. 
Shelbina Church, 245. 
Second Lone Elm Church, 256. 
Sedalia Church, 260. 
Spring Hill Church, 282. 
Smithville Church, 345. 
Salem Church, 364. 
Second Creek Church, 372. 
Sugar Creek Church, 381. 
St. Joseph Church, 384. 
Salt Creek Church, 467. 
St. Louis Church, 474. 
Schuyler County Churches, 532. 
Trenton Church, 282. 
Union Church, 171. 
Union Church, 203. 
Unionville Church, 289. 
Union Church, 382. 
Wellington Church, 206. 
Waverly Church, 207. 
Walnut Grove Church, 257. 
Weston Church, 366. 



INDEX. 



589 



ALPHABETICAL LIST OF DESEASED MINISTERS MEN- 
TIONED. 



Alexander, John, 119. 
Allen, Thomas M., 147. 
Boone, Hampton L., 195. 
Bledsoe, Hiram, 208. 
Boone, Wm. C, 557. 
Buchanan, 521. 
Creath, Jacob, 427. 
Church, Samuel S., 493. 
Coons, Jacob, 514. 
Callerman, John, 522. 
Donau, P., 176. 
Davis, O. P., 252. 
Errett, Joseph J., 414. 
Foster, Isaac, 121. 
Ford, Timothy, 422. 
Fife, R. B., 483. 
Gaines, Thomas N., 210. 
Gross, Barton Y., 218. 
Haden, Joel H., 183. 
Haley, Henry H., 544. 
Hudgins, Prince L., 554. 
Lard, Moses E., 325. 
Lancaster, Jerry P., 338. 
Linville, Zachariah, 395. 
McBride, Thoinas, 145. 
Meng, James A., 231. 
Mountjoy, John W., 548. 
Mortou, Richard C, 336. 



Prewitt, Joel, 195. 
Payne, A. T. H., 295. 
Palmer, Francis R., 541 .jr 
Parker, William, 560. 
Reed, William, 112. 
Rice, A. H., 175. 
Robinson, Wm. H., 233. 
Rice, E. v., 404. 
Rice, Absalom/524. 
Shoot, Frederick, 115. 
Sidener, Martin, 116. 

Stewart, , 286. 

Summers, Mason, 354. 
Steele, Oliver C, 373. 
Shannon, James, 456. 
Thompson, Thomas, 107. 
Thomas, Henry, 122. 

Terrill, , 240. 

Trice, Samuel S., 358. 
Wright, Allen, 101. 
White, William, 114. 
Wilson, Alfred, 126. 
Wills, Marcus P., 146. 
Wyatt, Joseph J., 387. 
Wright, D. T., 504. 
Warriner, Hiram, 509. 
Wright, Peter, 521. 
Young, Duke, 419. 



THE DAWN OF THE REFORMATION 

In Missouri. 

A SERIES OF 

BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL SKETCHES 

OF 

DECEASED PIONEER PREACHERS, 

AND OF 

The Early Churches Connected with the Reforma- 
tion IN Missouri. 



BY T. P. HALEY. 



The Present is the heir of the Past. We build to-day 0:1 the labors of the 
generations which have preceded us. To be unmindful of this fact, and to 
be ignorant of the struggles and conflicts of those to whom we are so largely 
indebted for what we are, and for the vantage ground we occupy, is to be 
guilty of the sin of ingratitude, and to deprive ourselves of those lessons of 
wisdom which the Past can always teach us. 

This book owes its right to an existence and to a wide reading to the fact 
thht it brings- be fore us once more, in simple, plain and life-like sketches, the 
heroic men and the thrilling scenes associated with the early dawn of our 
Reformation in Missouri. The author was an eye-witness of many of these 
scenes and incidents, and a co-laborer, in his young manhood, with many of 
these veteran soldiers of the cross who then lingered with us. He therefore 
writes largely from personal knowledge. Perhaps no other man living could 
have mentioned by name so large a number of the men and women associated 
with our pioneer churches. This gives the book a unique value and interest. 
It ought to be in all the families connected with our movement, especially 
those who are now or have been associated with the work in Missouri. Young 
men entering upon the ministry should be familiar with the hardships, self- 
denials, the lofty courage and the earnest zeal of the grand men who lived 
hard, worked hard and died poor, that the truth of the gospel might prosper 
in the land, and Christ's name be honored among men, 

A most valuable and highly prized feature of the book is the portraits of 
many of these old veterans, whose names are familiar, but whose faces the 
present generation has never seen. 

PRICE, CLOTH S3.00. AGENTS WANTED. 

CHRISTIAN PUBLISHING CO., 

ST. liOTJIS, MO. 



The People's New Testament. 

THE COIWIWON AMD REVISED VERSIONS, WITH REFERENCES, 
EXPLANATORY NOTES, AND COLORED MAPS. 



In Two Volumes, 
of about 500 8v0 pages each. 



BY B. VV. JOHNSON. 



VOLUME I. 

{Beady early in 1889). -will contain the Four Gospels and Acts of the Apostles. 

This important work has been undertaken in order to meet a general wish 
for a New Testament with Notes, copious enough to make clear the meaning 
of every difficult passage ; simple enough to be understood by the plainest 
reader, and yet concise enough to bring the whole Commentary within the 
moderate compass of tv,-o bvo volumes, and within the reach of every home. 
It is believed that this work, with its two Versions, Maps, References, Table of 
Parallel Passages, Index of Subjects, Geographical, Historical, and Explanato- 
ry Notes, will combine everything needful tb enable the earnest student and 
the family circle to understand every portion of the New Testament. One is 
often bewildered in reading the Blessed Book unless he knows something of 
the men, the times, history, customs, religious and social, geographj-, and 
mauy other matters peculiar to Bible history and the East. In these two vol- 
umes the author has condensed the gleanings of costly libraries and the study 
of many years, and we are confident that the work will be found one of the 
most valiiable aids to New Testament study ever issued in popular form. 

Probably no one could be named in the Christian Church so well fitted for 
the task of preparation, in all respects, asB. W. Johnson, His reputation as a 
Biblical scholar is too well known to require a word. His life has been devot- 
ed to Bible study, and his work for years has been the preparation of Bible 
Notes. Scholarly, studious, full of reverence for the Bible, devout, with emi- 
nent power of clear, strong expression in the fewest possible words, conspicu- 
ous for his knowledge of the history, geography, and customs of Bible times, 
and also for his insight into the deep, spiritual meaning of the sacred text, he 
presents a rare combination of qualities for this work. 

For years it has been his cherished purpose to prepare a People's New Testa- 
ment with Notes, and he has condensed into the work the richest fruits of the 
study of a life-time. For family reading, study and devotions, for the Sunday- 
school teacher, for a general understanding of the New Testament, and for 
Christian people of every ciass. we confidently commend this as the most 
valuble work of the kind ever published at the cost. 

Price, per Vol., Cloth $2-00; Leather $2.50; Half Morocco $3-00. 

CHRISTIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY, 

1522 Lucas Place, ....-•-• St. Louis, Mo. 



